Feelings for You
by xxFluffy
Summary: “You can see me?” Kagome asks. “Of course, it’s not like you’re dead or anything.” He replies. She gulps. “Well you see... I’m kind of in a coma...” S/K.
1. Prologue: Shock

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha. **

Feelings for You 

Prologue: Shock 

Sakura petals fall gently on the pavement of a small street in Tokyo, in front of a beautiful church. The large iron gates leading to the church were open, with bouquets of flowers all around. The sun shone brightly on the marble statues on either sides of the large stairs leading to the church doors.

People wearing gowns and tuxedos can be seen murmuring and mingling happily. They were all here to attend the wedding that is about to take place.

"So, which one do you know, the bride or the groom?" A beautiful woman with long dark hair and wearing a striking red dress whispered into her champagne, staring intently at the large doors.

"The bride, you?" came a completely unanticipated reply from a man with orange hair in a green tuxedo. The woman gasped softly at the response to her question at open air. She recovered quickly with a confident smile on her face.

"You can say that I am acquainted with the groom." She replied coyly. The man raised his eyebrows, and was about to reply when a stream of people began to file into the church through its large doors, which are now open.

"Excuse me, I believe that the ceremony is about to start." The woman nodded to the man, who nodded back. She began to follow the mass of people and took a seat at the first pew. She glanced tentatively at the interior of the church. Three large stained glass windows decorated the back of the church, on the wall behind the altar. A large chandelier hung from the top, in a Renaissance design. Candles were lit on the chandelier. A red carpet adorned the path leading to the altar, with sakura petals sprinkled all over. The pews themselves were decorated with flowers on the side facing the path.

On the altar stood the priest and the groom. The groom was a celebrity in the business world, with midnight black tresses, deep violet eyes and a well toned body. The woman inwardly smirked. So caught up in her reverie was she that she had not noticed that the organ has started to play the wedding march in the background.

The bride, wearing a short white wedding dress with two little white feather wings protruding from the waist and a thin white veil on her head began to walk in tune to the song. A soft breeze blew in the open church, causing the feathers adorning her wavy black hair to move to the current softly. She was overcome with excitement, but she forced her face to be calm. Today is the day her dream comes true…

They have been dating for two years now. The first time they met was her first day as his secretary. He was rich and she was barely making enough to pay the rent in her apartment. The moment she laid eyes on him, he had her swept off her feet. He had intense purple eyes that she swears sometimes turned golden yellow.

He asked her out on her first day. At first, she declined, but because he asked her every day, she eventually gave in. Then one day, his ex came to visit from France. He swears that there was nothing between him and his ex, and she believed him. Eventually, he asked her to marry him, promising that he would make her the happiest woman in the world. Throwing all caution to the wind, she accepted.

Which brings her here, nervously pacing down the aisle towards her happiness.

However, the woman was oblivious to the bride. She had eyes only for the groom in his expensive white Armani tuxedo. Apparently, the groom only had eyes for her as well, for he was staring not at his bride but at the beautiful woman in the red dress standing in the first pew. The sadness, anxiety and regret in his eyes were clear for all to see… had anyone been looking. But everyone was too busy admiring the woman walking towards the altar to notice. Only the woman in the red gown noticed.

The bride finally reached the altar, and the wedding march drew softly to a close. After a brief moment of silence, the bride and the groom turned towards the priest, and the priest began the ceremony.

The man in the orange hair was seated on the first pew on the opposite side of the pathway, the woman noticed. So bored was she that it had escaped her notice that there was an overwhelming silence that filled the church.

"No" was suddenly heard after a very long silence. Everyone at the ceremony gasped in surprise. The groom stared sadly at his bride, who was looking at him in horror.

"I'm sorry Kagome." He said softly, with his head facing the ground, bangs hiding his eyes. He was afraid to see the hurt in his bride's eyes, so opted to step off the altar. He was aware of the stares of the masses as he proceeded towards the first pew, where the beautiful woman in the red gown is located. He reached for the woman's hand, and proceeded to run out of the church.

Kagome stared after them in shock, before slowly falling to the ground.

"Someone chase after them!" A man's voice boomed throughout the church.

Tears slowly glistened in the bride's eyes. She started to sob as the man with orange hair in a green tuxedo came over to comfort her.

"Kagome, Kagome. He just made the biggest mistake of his life." The man started to comfort her in the midst of the uproar that had erupted from the eloping of the groom with another woman. Kagome's mournful cries filled the church as everyone paused to consider the situation.

"Inuyasha, Inuyasha… Why did you leave me?" She yelled through her tears, sobbing uncontrollably. The man with the orange hair hugged her tightly, wishing her pain to disappear. However, he knew that this wasn't like the other times when Inuyasha made Kagome cry. This time was irreparable.

Outside, the birds were chirping and the sun was shining. It was a day like any other for everyone in the world…Except for those who just witnessed a dream shattered.

----~~~----

"Kagome, you have to eat to keep up your strength," her worried friend prodded, holding a spoon of congee in front of her. Kagome stared at her with emotionless eyes, then just resumed her staring at the table in front of her.

"Kagome, you haven't eaten for the past 3 days. If you keep this up, you'll die. He's not worth it and you know it." Another friend was heard speaking behind her. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, hoping to shake the sense into her. She flinched at the contact, still staring at the very interesting table which was made of marble.

"Shippo, what will we do? Where has our Kagome gone?" The girl shakily asked, placing the spoon back into the bowl. Sobs began to escape her as her tears landed on Kagome's hands, which were on the table.

Kagome started staring at the droplets on her hand. But that was the only sign of life that she displayed.

"Shh Sango, it's all going to be okay. It's getting late, tomorrow's another day." Shippo comforted. Sango nodded before wiping off her tears with the back of her hand. With a forced smile, she stood and helped Kagome stand as well.

"Come on Kagome," Sango said as she led Kagome into her room.

"I'll sleep on the couch." Shippo yelled after them. He shook his head. The friend that he once knew has gone and left a shell in her place. He thought of the man who left her at the altar. _Inuyasha…_ His hands wrapped into fists as he thought of him stealing not only his woman away, but also Kagome's soul.

----~~~----

Kagome lay on her bed awake. Her head pounded. She stared out her window, hearing the rain softly fall on the ground. She pulled herself out of the bed and proceeded to the bathroom to retrieve some Tylenol. She looked around for it, but there was none. So she walked out of her apartment, hoping to get some from a nearby pharmacy. She walked down the stairs of the building and opened the front door.

She slowly walked towards the road, the rain already soaking her hair and clothing despite the amount of time she spent outdoors.

_Why did you leave me, Inuyasha? Was I not good enough for you? Why did you leave me for that woman? Who is she to you…? _

So preoccupied she was in her thoughts that she didn't hear it until it was too late. She turned her head and stared at the object that projected the offending sound through the silence of the night.

_What a pretty convertible. It must've been expensive. Its colour reminds me of his hair… _Were her last thoughts before the collision. The driver braked as she saw the girl walk across the road, but even so, he hit the girl head on with enough force to push her into the side of a car parked on the side of the road.

The pulled the car to a stop before getting out of the car. A strange man in a black cloak wearing sunglasses stared at Kagome's body. He leaned down towards the girl's body. He fumbled under his cloak and pulled out a vial dangling from a silver chain around his neck. He held it over the fallen girl's body, and waited for a while. Suddenly, the vial glowed a bloodred colour.

"Hn… interesting." He remarked as he was about to pick up the fallen girl's body.

"KAGOME?!" A loud shriek was heard from behind him. He turned towards the origin of the sound quickly. He saw a girl with long hair pulled back into a ponytail wearing what appeared to be cat pajamas running towards the road, looking in all directions.

He swore under his breath before leaving the girl on the ground, getting back into his car and swiftly driving away. Sango turned and spotted a body on the ground. She looked around and spotted a sleek black car turning the corner before leaving.

"Kagome?" She asked softly. She touched the fallen girl's hands and jerked back, as though burned. They were pale and unmoving.

"Kagome?" She yelled, louder. The girl in her arms didn't stir.

"SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! MY FRIEND JUST GOT HIT BY A CAR!" She yelled in concern, clutching Kagome's body as though it was a lifeline.

"Don't leave me Kagome… please stay with me…" She sobbed as she hugged her unconscious friend.

Around them, the rain continued to fall softly onto the ground.

----~~~----

A/N: I hope you liked the prologue of my first fanfic! :)


	2. Chapter 1: Revelation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha. **

Chapter 1: Revelation

_Ow... this really hurts. _ Kagome thought as she fought to open her eyes. Someone was speaking beside her.

"Can you please keep it down? Some people are trying to sleep you know..." She began to say as she sat up. Beside her, she sees a doctor writing onto a clipboard. Beside the doctor sitting on a chair is her friend, Sango, who is sleeping with her arms folded on the bed.

_Hold on... what was Sango doing? Why is there a doctor beside her bed? _Kagome thought confusedly.

"Sango? What are you doing here?" Kagome asked, poking her friend's arm with her finger.

Rather, she tried to. But her finger passed right through Sango's arm. Frightened, she retracted her finger and stared at her hands. They looked pretty normal to her.

"Ms. Taijiya? Do you want to go home and get some sleep? Your friend's condition has stabilized, but she shows no signs of waking soon... I'm afraid there's no way to tell when your friend will awaken from her coma." The doctor said.

"Doctor, what are you talking about? I'm right here you know... I can hear you. I'm feeling fine…" Kagome grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm sorry doctor, I want to spend some more time with my best friend." Sango replied, tired. The doctor nodded, his hand hesitating for a second before setting on her shoulder. She nodded at his reassurance gratefully, and he left the room with a meaningful glance at the saddened woman. _I hope her friend recovers soon…_ He thought before leaving to check on his other patients.

"Kagome..." Sango said softly, completely ignoring the Kagome who's waving her arms in front of her face. To Kagome's horror, Sango's hand reached towards her stomach... and went right through it.

"AH!!! GROSS!!! You're my best friend and all Sango, but can you please GET YOUR HAND OUT OF MY ABDOMEN?" Kagome shrieked as she leaped off the bed, landing gracefully on the floor of the hospital room.

"Who did this to you..." Sango said softly, her hand placed on Kagome's cheek.

Wait... Is that her lying on the bed like a corpse on life support? Kagome peered curiously over Sango's shoulder and gasped in horror.

"But but but... I'm feeling fine... I'm right here..." Kagome stuttered in surprise.

"Inuyasha isn't worth it Kagome... Did you commit suicide to take away the pain?" Sango continued talking to the comatose Kagome.

"Sangooooo... Stop talking to that corpse! I'm right here! And I DIDN'T commit suicide... At least I don't think so..." Kagome waved frantically for her friend's attention. After a few minutes of such waving, she gave up, as it was obvious that Sango was oblivious to her presence in the room.

Sighing in defeat, Kagome opted to walk around the hospital. Obviously she wasn't dead, but it seems as if she's in a coma. Well, her body is in a coma. But for some odd reason, it seems as though her spirit got separated from her body. Which can't be good, she deduced, after a few minutes of walking aimlessly and thinking.

Suddenly she felt a tingling feeling that made her feel slightly nauseous. She gasped in horror as she realized that she just walked through a living being.

"Ew... that feels really weird..." Kagome gasped as she waited for the tingling sensation to disappear. She looked back at the offending person who just rudely stepped right through her.

All she saw was a head of long silver hair in a white tuxedo turn the corner. Curious, she decided to follow said person. He walked down hallways, turned around corners until Kagome lost her way. At last, he stopped outside a door and opened it. A loud feminine cry was heard. The man closed the door after him, leaving Kagome outside in the hallway.

"Hey! That was mean!" She huffed as she attempted to turn the doorknob. But her hand went right through.

_Oh right... I'm a spirit... _She thought sadly. She touched the doorknob again and leaned towards the door. She lost her footing as she leaned in too much, and to her surprise she fell through the door.

She landed unceremoniously onto the ground inside the room, bombarded by the sounds that the door kept out.

"Sesshoumaru-samaaaaa! Rin hasn't seen you in ages! How was Sesshoumaru-sama? Did Sesshoumaru-sama get Rin a present? Can Rin eat ice cream? Where is Jaken-sama? I wanna feed him daisies!" The little girl on the hospital bed yelled. The man in the tuxedo winced, but otherwise that was the only indication that he heard.

Kagome felt sorry for the man. The volume of the child's happy cries was deafening even though she was at least ten feet away, it must be worse at the foot of the child's bed.

The man the girl called Sesshoumaru-sama affectionately placed his hand on her head, ruffling her hair. Kagome observed that the room was pink all over, with a TV on the wall opposite the bed. The window was on the left, with a vase of daisies on the window sill. A large teddy bear sat on the sofa in front of the window.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin has bed head!" Rin yelled excitedly. Sesshoumaru nodded in recognition.

"Rin, eat." Sesshoumaru said, holding onto a spoonful of hospital food. The girl shook her head adamantly and started to say something when her gaze landed at the young woman who was looking around her room curiously. She paused.

Kagome stopped observing the surroundings as she took in the silence. She looked at the little girl on the bed as she felt eyes on her. To her surprise, the little girl was staring directly at her, mouth agape.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Look! A pretty lady is visiting Rin!" The little girl exclaimed happily. "Come over here, pretty lady!"

Sesshoumaru didn't take his his eyes off Rin as Kagome approached the bed. Rin waved excitedly to the new arrival.

"Please leave." He said.

"You can see me?" Kagome asked in surprise.

Sesshoumaru turned to face Kagome. "Please leave." He repeated.

Kagome was aghast. "Y..y..you can SEE ME! Y...y..you can HEAR ME?" She asked stupidly.

"Of course, it's not like you're dead or anything." He replies, feeling slightly offended that she would ask such a senseless question.

She gulped.

"Well you see... I'm kind of in a coma..."

---

A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews! Hope you enjoyed this (short) installment :)!


	3. Chapter 2: Denial

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha. **

Chapter 2 - Denial

Sesshoumaru stared at the woman blankly. Surely she cannot be serious...

"Woman. You dare mock this Sesshoumaru?" He threatened, eyes narrowing.

"You can see me..." Kagome cried tears of happiness. She sank to the ground beside the bed, sobbing loudly.

"Pretty lady? Sesshoumaru-sama, is the pretty lady all right?" Rin asked, concerned.

_Perhaps she is mentally unstable...? _Sesshoumaru thought as the wails of the woman beside him increased in intensity.

"WOMAN! Cease your mindless tears immediately." Sesshoumaru reached for Kagome's shoulders, about to shake some sense into her.

He stared as his arms passed right through the woman. He retracted his arms, which once again passed right through the woman. He tried putting his hand on the woman's face which is streaked with tears. Again, his hand passed right through her.

"Hey, can you please stop that? It feels really REALLY weird when you do that.." She mumbled in an offended manner.

His eyes widened in shock.

"Believe me now, your highness?" She said sarcastically as she reached for a tissue.

"AH! I can't believe it!" She growled at the box of tissue as her hand passed right through it. "How am I supposed to wipe my tears now?" She said, annoyed at her current predicament.

Rin watched the entire exchange with curious eyes. Her beloved Sesshoumaru-sama is still staring at the pretty lady with a shocked gaze, but still as a statue. The pretty lady was busy trying to rid her face of tears.

"What is pretty lady's name?" Rin asked randomly. Sesshoumaru came out of his daze as he stared at Rin as though he's never seen her before. The pretty lady also stopped her ranting as she smiled.

"My name is Kagome. What is yours?" She smiled warmly.

"Rin's name is Rin!" Rin chirped happily. She smiled as she reached for the edge of Kagome's dress, hoping to pull her closer to the bed.

"Rin, I will come back to see you next week." Sesshoumaru interrupted. Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru as her previous smile disappeared from her face.

"But... Sesshoumaru-sama.. You've only been here for a few minutes!" She complained.

Sesshoumaru patted her head before standing and walking towards the door.

"I will see you next week." He said before opening the door and leaving. It did not occur to Kagome until after the door clicked that the Sesshoumaru character just ignored her as though she didn't exist. Saying a hurried goodbye to her new friend Rin, she angrily stomped out of the room and trailed behind Sesshoumaru.

Rin looked sadly at the closed door before taking the spoon of hospital food in her hand. _Will Sesshoumaru-sama come visit me earlier if Rin finishes her food?_ She thought miserably as she ate the mysterious grey pudding.

"Ew…" She wailed as she swallowed. "Bear bear! Rin doesn't wanna eat…" She cried as she leaped off the bed and hugged the giant teddy bear. The teddy bear just sat in the arms of the girl as she hugged the life out of him.

"Eat for Rin!" Rin cried happily as a lightbulb suddenly flashed in her head. Excited, she took the teddy bear towards the food.

"Say ah!" Rin said happily as she took a spoonful of the mysterious pudding and stuffed it where the mouth of the teddy bear is. The stuffed teddy just sat in her arms as the gruel went down his face and landed on his body.

----~~~----

"Hey what is your problem?" Kagome yelled after him as she stomped down the hallway. Sesshoumaru continued as though he didn't hear her.

Though Kagome didn't know it, Sesshoumaru's innermost thoughts were in turmoil. It was trying to find the logic in Kagome's presence... But he found no such logic. He was completely confused at the fact that his hand went right through her... as though she were not real...

That's it! She MUST not be real! She is just a product of his weariness at not sleeping for the past fourty-eight hours. _That must be it_, he mused as he pressed for the elevator. He has been working nonstop at his company, taking care of the messes that his incompetent employees made, living on a cup of coffee per hour. _I must instruct the secretary to make better coffee… or at least get better coffee beans. The ones in the cabinet are atrocious…_ He thought, as he got into the elevator.

"...Can you please stop ignoring me! I know you can hear me!..." Sesshoumaru tuned out as best he could.

"... Hey that feels weird... can you please stop that... ah!!! Help!!!" Kagome yelled as she tried to follow Sesshoumaru into the elevator but instead ended up passing through the people in the elevator inside.

"... You evil...!!!! Just you wait...!!!" Sesshoumaru continued to be pensive as he strolled out of the elevator into the parking lot. Kagome recovered quickly from her elevator position, which incidentally happened to be through the shoulder of a middle age man, his briefcase and the back of an office lady. She raced in front of him and stood in his path.

He couldn't care less as he walked right past her.

Or rather, right through her.

As she fell to the ground in agony, he smirked. Yes, he will go straight to sleep as soon as he got home. Hopefully by then, his mind wouldn't play tricks on him in the form of one female enigma. He opened his black Rolls Royce's car doors and stepped inside.

Unfortunately for the forgotten Kagome, it wasn't enough that Sesshoumaru decided to walk right through her. He had to drive through her too.

----~~~----

After running out of the church, Inuyasha led the woman to his sleek red Ferrari and they drove away towards their houses. They packed hastily and drove to the airport, where they boarded a plane to wherever they could buy tickets at the time, which happed to be somewhere in Europe.

On the long plane ride, they joined the Mile High Club out of boredom. When they reached their destination, Inuyasha stalked out of the plane quickly as the recirculated air of the plane affected his sensitive nose.

"Oi, Kikyou, walk faster." He yelled behind him as they went to get the luggage that they packed earlier.

The one named Kikyou rolled her eyes in reply. "If you wanted to be in a hurry, you didn't have to bring me you know." She called out.

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks. _Why __**did**__ he elope with her? _He quickly shook his head of such thoughts.

"Feh. Just anxious to get out of the airport. You know how the smells affect me." He answered quickly. Kikyou shrugged before quickening her pace slightly, and caught up to Inuyasha, who was standing in the middle of the hallway, waiting for her. She smirked in triumph as she slid her arm around his left arm, and together they walked to retrieve their luggage.

In a dark business room...

"Where is the female." A low voice growled.

"I was interrupted." Replied a gruff voice.

"You could've just taken her and checked later." The low voice replied.

"..."  
A feminine voice spoke up. "My, my. I do believe that this is the first time that you failed a mission."

"Shut up." The gruff voice snapped.

"She's right you know. What happened?" A fourth voice joined the fray.

"You could've always dumped her on the side of the road if she wasn't compatible." The feminine voice mocked.

"Find out where her body is and bring her to me." The low voice commanded, bringing an end to the conversation.

"Your wish... is my command." The gruff voice said obediently.

"See to it that you do not fail me this time..." The low voice warned. Footsteps were heard as the door opened, then closed.

"Is she one of them?" The feminine voice asked.

"It's none of your business, Kagura." The fourth voice growled. Kagura's red eyes flashed in anger, but she didn't speak. _You're a dead man when I get my hands on you, _she thought in hatred.

"Meeting adjourned." The low voice smiled. His two minions bowed before leaving the room.

---

A/N: Thank you everyone, for your support! The third chapter should be coming up shortly :)!


	4. Chapter 3: Frustration

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha. **

Chapter 3 - Frustration

"Good morning Taishou-sama." His secretary bowed in respect as Sesshoumaru passed by her into the double doors that opened to his office.

"Where's my coffee." He growled in annoyance. The secretary hastily stepped towards her desk and retrieved the still steaming cup with the spoon still inside from the tabletop.

"Here you are Taishou-sama." She offered, with her head bowed low. Sesshoumaru wrenched the cup out of her hands, opened the door with his left hand and entered, without a word of thanks. His secretary walked meekly back to her desk, continuing the schedule planning.

A few seconds later, a sharp crack was heard inside his room. The sound of something breaking caused the secretary to jump. She cautiously peered towards the double doors when she heard a beep from the phone. Her boss was calling her into his office.

She reluctantly opened the door, but before she could step in it, she heard the frigid voice of her boss.

"See to it that the mess is cleaned." Was all he said before returning to his typing. The secretary's gaze landed on the shattered mug by the door, with coffee staining the carpet. What a horrible demise for such a lovely mug. She can still make out the words "Cold" on one piece, half of a heart on another shard, and the picture of a cute white puppy on another particularly large shard. The spoon laid alone some ways away from the remains of the mug.

She sighed. She'll have to get another mug for him. She closed the door before calling for the custodian.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes warily. The cup of coffee seemed worse than usual. Though he had slept the minute he got home from the hospital yesterday, three hours is not nearly enough. He sighed, hoping that his team of scientists in the Research and Development department would come up with a miracle drug for allowing one's mind to feel refreshed despite a lack of sleep.

He growled. He really needed a decent cup of coffee. He speed dialled his favourite coffee shop and ordered his usual before resuming his work. He really needed to get better coffee beans.

----~~~----

"Why won't this work", a frustrated Kagome growled as she attempted to re-enter her body upon return from her little escapade with a certain silver haired male and his car.

_Come on…_ she thought as she laid on the bed where her body was, hoping that the next time she sat up, her body would also obey. However, no such luck. After doing so multiple times, she began to feel stupid, so she abandoned her quest and opted instead to get off the bed and sit on the sofa by the window.

"Sango? Here, French Vanilla, your favourite." A male voice was heard immediately after the door opened. Sango, who was still watching her comatose friend from her perch at the side of the bed smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Dr. Miroku." She blushed as she accepted the cup.

"It is nothing special. Has her family been notified?" He asked as he sipped from his own beverage.

"Her entire family passed away two years ago in a fire… except for her brother, whom she's convinced is still alive somewhere. But so far, there's no sign of him." Sango sighed as she reminisced to two years ago, when she found out from her friend the unfortunate demise of her family.

_ It was two years ago, on Christmas eve. Kagome was spending the day with Sango and Shippou, and they were in the process of watching the third instalment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy when she received that fateful phone call. _

_ "Moshi moshi?" Kagome chirped. _

_ "Hello? Is this a Kagome Higurashi?" The male voice on the other end asked, his sound muffled by a loud siren in the background. _

_ "Speaking…" Kagome said, her earlier happiness dissipating. _

_ "I regret to be the one to inform you… but your family are dead." The male voice on the other end said, so softly that Kagome nearly didn't catch it. _

_ Kagome gasped before dropping her cell phone onto the sofa. Sango and Shippou paused the movie before they turned to their stunned friend in concern. _

_ "What is it Kagome?" Sango prodded. _

_ "Mama… Grampa… Souta…" She said in a daze as the truth sank in. Shippou immediately retrieved the phone from the sofa and conversed with the man on the other end. _

_ "A fire you say… two bodies… are you sure? Thank you, we will be there as soon as possible." Shippou said before hanging up. _

_ "Kagome? They said they only recovered your mother and your grandpa's body, but your brother is nowhere to be seen…" Shippou started before being hushed by Sango, who was hugging her crying friend tightly. _

_ "We have to go to the station to identify the bodies…." Shippou said softly. Sango nodded before relaying the message to Kagome, who was still sobbing loudly. _

_ At the station, Kagome broke down in the sight of her family members in the morgue. _

_ "They were supposed to be… singing happily… Mama was supposed to be preparing for the Christmas dinner tomorrow… Grandpa was… supposed to be… berating Souta for… not helping… Souta… Grandpa… Mama…" She sobbed uncontrollably. _

"And since then, she's been searching for her brother?" The doctor inquired, after the little anecdote delivered by Sango. She nodded mutely, the grief of the situation sinking in again.

"Kagome Kagome… why does everything bad seem to happen to you? First your family dies… then you get left at the altar… now you get hit by a car and left in a coma…" She sobbed at the unfairness of it all. Her friend deserved happiness… The doctor placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort again. Unbeknownst to Sango, he was about to ask her to bear his children to lighten the mood, but he swallowed his words as he saw the tears appear in her eyes again.

And they remained in their positions for a while, until Sango calmed down again. Kagome stared on at the duo the entire time with eyes glazed with unshed tears, the memories evoking emotions that she thought she had buried a long time ago…

----~~~----

"Where are you." A gruff voice asked on the phone. Kikyou smiled.

"In a place far far away" she said in a singsong voice.

"I'm not in the mood for games woman." The gruff voice replied angrily.

"What do you want?" She asked, cutting to the chase.

"Information." He plainly stated.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." Kikyou replied sarcastically.

"The location of Kagome Higurashi's body." He stated after a few seconds of silence.

"What makes you think I know?" She asked, curious.

"You have your underground network, so do I." She sighed. She inwardly cursed, the underground network again. Always popping up in her life at the most inopportune times.

"Look I'm on vacation in a place far far away. Which means I'm also far far away from said network. Find someone else to do the job." She grumbled into her phone, clearly irritated.

"Name your price." He calmly stated, oblivious to her previous comment.

"You son of a…" She began to say before he interrupted.

"I expect the information in a day." He said.

"…gotta pay me double for the long distance fees." Was all he heard before he hung up. He smirked while twirling his cell phone in his hand.

In some place far far away, Kikyou was seething in anger. They always called at the worst times to ask for the most ridiculous favours… She swallowed her anger before proceeding to call her first informant.

----~~~----

Sesshoumaru sighed as he finally finished his pile of work. He closed his eyes, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere when he felt a slight tingle. He opened his eyes a mere second later, frustration showing in his eyes as he stared at the offending person who dares to open the door to his office.

"Ano… Taishou-sama…"

Ah, the female responsible for the deplorable coffee.

"There appears to be a problem in Laboratory S-1…" She started to say but stopped in fear at her boss' deep growl.

"Hn." Was all that indicated that he heard.

Is he destined to live on three hours of sleep? He cursed the fool that was responsible for the glitch. _When this Sesshoumaru gets his claws on him, he's going to wish that he's dead already, _Sesshoumaru thought as he walked past her towards the elevator that will take him to the bowels of the earth.

---

A/N: Thank you for reading so far :)! Special thanks to Hirono for proofreading the story thus far, and to my reviewers =) I'll try to update as much as possible in between studying for the finals. I will try to keep the Japanese terms to a minimum, because I myself am not a speaker of Japanese, so I don't want to unknowingly butcher the language by accident XD.


	5. Chapter 4: Anxiety

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha. **

Chapter 4 - Anxiety

He was greeted by a great big mess. Around him, machines were shooting out sparks, the walls were charred, and bits of glass littered the ground. Chairs were overturned and people were panicking.

When he got off the elevator, he expected some semblance of order in the laboratory. But one glance at the state of said lab immediately told him otherwise. He strolled calmly into the laboratory, people glancing at him from their fallen positions on the ground. Everywhere was chaos… except right in the middle.

"Speak." He said calmly in his baritone voice.

"Ta…Taishou-sama… the experiment… didn't turn out as we planned. We don't really know what we created…" The man closest to the experiment stuttered out.

Sesshoumaru spared a glance at the unexpected product of the experiment. Floating innocently in midair was a pink orb.

"Explain." Sesshoumaru dictated.

"Um… we did everything that we planned but somehow instead of a microchip it turned into this… jewel-like looking thing." The scientist said, clearly mystified at the turn of events.

"Hn." He said, before stepping closer to the curious jewel. To his surprise, a barrier prevented him from stepping further.

"See… we would've examined it if the barrier wasn't keeping us two feet away from it." A snarky scientist from somewhere behind Sesshoumaru commented sarcastically.

Sesshoumaru turned and grabbed the scientist from the collar of his lab jacket.

"I paid you to give me results, not pathetic excuses." He threw him across the lab into a corner before returning his attention back to the curious floating object that projected a barrier.

_Very curious indeed…_ He thought before another scientist came into the lab and demanded his attention.

"Sir, we have an anomaly on the detector." He barely finished before Sesshoumaru exited the lab and walked towards a neighbouring one.

"What is the meaning of this." He asked stoically.

"Sir, we don't recognize this energy signature… It does not appear to be human, youkai or hanyou." One of the scientists in front of the monitor said while typing.

"Where is this enigma?" He pressed on further.

"It appears to be situated at a hospital… hold on, I can zoom in to give you a name…" He continued, before realizing that his boss has long gone.

"But I haven't even given him the address…" He wailed in shock.

----~~~----

"Hn." Sesshoumaru said as he picked up his cell phone.

"Taishou-sama? I'm a nurse from the hospital calling in regards to your daughter Rin… I'm quite concerned for her. She appears to be speaking to her 'imaginary friend'…" The nurse started to say.

Sesshoumaru nods into his cell phone, before realizing that the nurse can't hear his nod. "Hn." Sesshoumaru said simply before hanging up. He sighed inwardly as he sped off to see his ward for the second day in a row. Will he ever get a moment of peace? And just _when_ will he get to sleep?

----~~~----

"Did you feel that?" A low voice asked in a surprised voice.

"Yeah… it made my hair stand on end" A male voice replied gruffly.

"The power emitted… do you think it's what we've been waiting for?" Kagura asked impatiently.

"Investigate," the low voice commanded.

"Your wish is my command" the male voice said obediently, before leaving.

"Kagura, contact him at once." The low voice said in a tone of authority. Kagura bowed before leaving the room. The tingle seemed very ominous to her, and apparently it had the same effect on her boss. _He never sounded so… surprised before_, she mused before taking off.

----~~~----

In a place far, far away…

"Kikyou, did you feel that?" Inuyasha asked out of the blue while staring out of the window of his hotel room. Kikyou came out of the bathroom clothed in a bathrobe, her hair still dripping from her shower. She nodded mutely.

_What was that?_ He thought to himself as he continued to look out the window as Kikyou approached.

"Mmm Inu… it's getting late," Kikyou flirted as she stepped really close to Inuyasha's statuesque form beside the window. He gave in when she gave him a passionate kiss on the lips, and soon his previous thoughts flitted out the window.

_I'm sorry Kagome…_ were his last thoughts before he allowed himself to fall into the warm embrace of Kikyou, his beloved.

----~~~----

"Ow… that really hurt" Kagome complained as she was awakened by a pain that fleeted through her side, as though it was pierced by an arrow.

"Kagome-chan!" Rin cried happily as she saw that Kagome has awakened.

"Rin has missed you! Rin tried her bestest to wake you but you still kept on sleeping!" Rin said as she attempted to hug Kagome, only to have her arms go through her new friend's body.

"Gomen ne, Rin-chan" Kagome smiled softly as she started to pet Rin's hair, only to be reminded of her spirit state as her hand went right through Rin's head.

"UGH I'LL NEVER GET USED TO THAT" Kagome yelled in frustration.

"… Get used to what?" A bemused baritone voice asked from behind her.

"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA! YOU CAME!!!" Rin squealed happily as she ran to hug her 'father' around his legs. Sesshoumaru patted Rin's head affectionately before scanning his surroundings. On the sofa sat a stuffed animal that looks like its seen better days, with crusted grey particles in its fur.

"Oh, Bear Bear was helping me eat the grey stuff that was my lunch" Rin said happily as she saw Sesshoumaru's gaze linger on the teddy bear on the sofa.

"Kagome-chan was keeping Rin company when Bear Bear was grumbling about stomach pains because of the food" Rin chirped as she resumed her position by Kagome.

"Woman, what are you?" Sesshoumaru asked, unamused. Kagome started in shock.

"If you think I'm going to answer that, you're a fool. I'm not talking to the person who ignored me the other day and who DROVE THROUGH ME…" Kagome huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Is that not what you are doing now?" Sesshoumaru asked, with a trace of amusement in his voice. Kagome felt her face flush in embarrassment.

"Feh." She said in annoyance.

_Feh? Can she not come up with a better retort than… _His eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the female enigma in front of him. She had wavy black hair with blue streaks that reached her shoulders, with deep cerulean blue eyes. She appeared to be in pink bunny pajamas decorated with flowers and mini cakes all over.

"Inuyasha…" He began to say, anger seeping into his voice. Kagome looked at him in shock.

"What about him?" Kagome asked, curious.

"You know of him?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Know of him? KNOW OF HIM? OF COURSE I KNOW OF HIM. HE'S THE ONE THAT LEFT ME AT THE ALTAR FOR SOME OTHER DARK HAIRED WOMAN…" Kagome began to rant.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened.

"So you were his intended?" Sesshoumaru asked inquisitively.

"Yeah, before he left me under the scrutiny of everyone at the ceremony…" Kagome said softly. Sesshoumaru looked pensive as he took in the information.

"Wait, you know him?" Kagome asked as she put two and two together.

"Hn… he is this one's half brother." Sesshoumaru said offhandedly. Kagome's jaw dropped.

"WHAT??????? But you two look NOTHING ALIKE…" She sputtered in shock.

"Hence the word 'half'" Sesshoumaru answered in annoyance. _Does she have hearing problems as well as mental instability?_

"Hold on, hold on. If you know him, you should've been at the ceremony… you would've known who I was, you would've been ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE GIVING ME LOOKS OF PITY…_" _Kagome realized in shock.

"This one just got back to the country yesterday afternoon" Sesshoumaru calmly stated. Kagome looked at him as though he just spoke Farsi.

"Wha…?" She asked stupidly.

"This one was not at the ceremony." He growled as he was forced to repeat his earlier sentence.

"Oh" Kagome's cheeks coloured as she realized she just asked another stupid question.

"Woman, what are you?" Sesshoumaru resumed as though their conversation never digressed.

"Um… Well I think I'm some sort of spirit… I apparently got hit by a car and slipped into a coma… The weird thing is I feel alive and stuff… the only thing difference is that I can't touch physical objects." Kagome explained.

"Hn." Sesshoumaru said as his attention was diverted by a certain female child pulling at his pant leg.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Bear Bear said that he wants to take a bath! Can Sesshoumaru-sama give Bear Bear a bath?" Rin asked cutely. Kagome laughed at Sesshoumaru's predicament, but was instantly sober when Sesshoumaru gave her a murderous glare.

"Of course Sesshoumaru-sama would," Kagome said to break the pregnant pause. Sesshoumaru gave her another murderous glare. Kagome coughed before looking away and started to whistle out of tune.

"Hn." Was all Sesshoumaru said before taking the teddy bear from Rin's embrace and walking towards the door. Rin hugged Sesshoumaru's legs happily before bounding back onto her bed.

"See you later Bear Bear! See you later Sesshoumaru-sama! Good night Kagome-chan! Take care of Bear Bear for me Kagome-chan!" Rin chirped before settling into her slumber. Kagome waved before following Sesshoumaru out of the door, before he could close it.

"AHA! For once I got through the door before you closed it!" She said in triumph. The only indication that Sesshoumaru heard was a slight shake of his head.

"Ne Sesshoumaru… do you know how I can get back into my body?" Kagome asked as they strolled down the hallway, towards the elevators.

"This Sesshoumaru knows not of which you speak." Sesshoumaru replied, the teddy bear dangling at a precarious angle from his left hand. They walked across a room with its door open, with its occupant busy drinking soup from a spoon. They walked across the reception desk. They waited in front of the elevator doors.

"I'm scared Sesshoumaru…" Kagome admitted nervously. "What if I never wake up from my coma? What if I'm stuck like this… forever?"

Sesshoumaru suddenly sighed.

"There is nothing to be afraid of." He said stiffly before resuming the silence. His face was a mask of indifference. Kagome paused in shock. _Did he just… comfort me?_

"Hehe… I think Bear Bear's softening you," Kagome giggled before she could stop herself. Sesshoumaru wisely chose to ignore the comment as the elevator doors opened.

"Somehow I never took you for a stuffed animal type… hey! Wait for me!" Kagome yelled in surprise as she passed through the closing elevator doors.

_Stupid Sesshoumaru… always leaving me behind._ She huffed in anger.

Bear Bear stared at the ground as he dangled from Sesshoumaru's left hand.

---

A/N: Special thanks to Hirono for helping me proofread this, and to my reviewers. By the way, I hope people who speak Farsi aren't offended... If so, I sincerely apologize. I meant it as a comparison to show Kagome's inattention and meant no insult by it. The next chapter is in the works and will be coming up within the next few days.


	6. Chapter 5: Foreboding

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha.**

Chapter 5 - Foreboding

Darkness. As he fought to open his eyes, he became aware of the cloudiness of the sky, and a woman hovering over him. He sat up under Goshinboku, looking around him. The woman peered at him curiously.

He looked at her curiously.

"Ano... who are you? What do you want?" He asked the woman who was still standing beside him, as though waiting for something.

"I am looking for someone, perhaps you can tell me where he is?" The woman said politely in reply. He gasped softly.

"Who?" He murmured.

"A man... by the name of Inuyasha."

Darkness. He slowly opened his eyes, shaking himself of the lingering dream of a distant memory, preparing for the day ahead.

After taking care of his morning rituals, he stepped into his normal work clothes and drove off to 'work'. He parked in the employee parking space and slid his security card to open the door. No one questioned him as he walked by.

He took the elevator that would take him to Lab S-1. As he entered, he was aware that the laboratory still looked like a mess, and the pink orb floating in the middle of the lab was keeping everyone a two feet radius away.

_Interesting..._ he thought as he took out his cell phone and snapped a few pictures of it. Then he hid his cell phone back into his work clothes, donned a laboratory jacket and proceeded to help the other scientists clean up the mess.

_He would be pleased to know about this..._ He thought as he filed stray sheets of paper into a binder.

The pink jewel innocently stayed in midair in the middle of the laboratory.

----~~~----

"Ne Sesshoumaru, you have a really pretty apartment." Kagome chirped as they stepped out of it. He ignored her.

"I really like the holographic devices that you have scattered all over." Kagome tried again. He still ignored her.

"I didn't know you played the piano. You have a really nice grand piano." Kagome tried a last time, in a futile attempt to engage him in conversation. After a moment of silence, an irritated Kagome began her tirade.

"Look, I'm sorry you had no time to sleep when you got back, it's really not my fault!" Kagome yelled as she broke under the pressure of being ignored. Sesshoumaru glared at her. Somewhere in the apartment, Kagome was sure that what was left of Bear Bear was glaring at her as well. If Bear Bear could glare, that is.

After they left the hospital last night, Sesshoumaru drove to his apartment. Kagome told him as soon as he stepped through the door to give Bear Bear a bath before he went to sleep. He complied reluctantly, checking the clock feeling slightly annoyed that it was already three in the morning.

Since Kagome couldn't touch any physical objects, Sesshoumaru became Kagome's hands as Kagome directed him through the cleaning of Bear Bear. Unfortunately, she didn't know that Bear Bear was not meant for being soaked in water. She found out only after they took Bear Bear out and placed him by the window.

_Do not wash in water... only dry clean...?_ Sesshoumaru thought as he angrily turned towards the apologetic Kagome.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" She apologized profusely as Sesshoumaru eyed the sopping wet teddy bear.

"What do we do now?" Kagome asked fearfully. Sesshoumaru took the teddy bear and tossed it into the dryer. Kagome was shocked at his treatment of the stuffed animal and she was equally horrified when she realized that he actually pressed the button for the dryer to work.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" pierced through the night.

After a series of accidents and retribution, what was left of Bear Bear was some fluff in the dryer and pieces of brown felt all over in a pile of cotton on the table.

"Explain that to Rin." Sesshoumaru commanded as Kagome mourned the loss of the teddy bear. Kagome gave him the evil eye as she bent over the remains and tried to poke it.

"If only I could touch physical objects..." She sighed sadly as her finger went through the pitiful pile of fluff. Sesshoumaru hn'd as he heard the alarm in his bedroom sound. His eyes widened.

"What is that noise Sesshoumaru? TURN IT OFF!" Kagome wailed as the sound increased in intensity. Sesshoumaru strolled into his room and turned it off, as it was irritating to his sensitive ears as well.

"Woman..." He growled as his eyes bled crimson. Kagome gulped in fear. She backed into a corner as Sesshoumaru raised his hand with ultra-long fingernails glowing slightly green in a menacing manner. On his face, two stripes of magenta appeared on either side of his cheek with a large crescent moon on his forehead, where his bangs parted.

Kagome closed her eyes and screamed as Sesshoumaru's hand went right through where her heart is into the wall right behind her. She opened her eyes a minute later to find herself still 'alive' with Sesshoumaru right in front of her with his arm in the wall. She sighed in relief as she realized that Sesshoumaru can't harm her physically. Only a tingling sensation remained where Sesshoumaru's hand met her body.

"Se...Sesshoumaru?" She asked fearfully, observing that the markings that she saw a minute ago were completely gone. Sesshoumaru blinked, as though unsure of what just happened.

"Ne... what were those markings?" Kagome inquired curiously as Sesshoumaru made no move to speak.

"What markings?" He asked warily. _What just happened? This Sesshoumaru was about to berate her for daring to command this one to turn off the offensive object but..._ His thoughts trailed off as Kagome pointed to her cheeks and forehead. He raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding what she meant by her pointing.

"The magenta stripes on your face and the crescent moon on your forehead... and your HANDS that glowed GREEN... and your super sharp and pointy fingernails..." She thoughtfully replied.

"You can... see them?" Sesshoumaru asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Just a minute ago, but I don't see anything now..." Kagome said hesitantly. Sesshoumaru had a thoughtful look on his face. While he was thinking, Kagome floated through him to stand behind him, as it just felt weird to be having a normal conversation with his arm in what was supposed to be her heart.

_Inuyasha... what is the meaning of this..._ Sesshoumaru thought, taking his arm out of the wall while his fingers curled into a fist. Somehow, an ominous feeling swept over him as he took in the full implications of this incident.

----~~~----

"What? But that's impossible... Those stupid scientists, they told me that it was completely invincible? ... I TOLD you two minutes ago, I don't have anything to do... Fine! I'll be on the first plane back..." Inuyasha muttered into his phone. Kikyou awoke to a very irritated Inuyasha.

"What happened?" She said groggily as she yawned under the covers.

"Something happened at the company and I need to go back to fix it," He sighed as he cursed the scientists that is ruining his honeymoon. Kikyou kissed him gently as she tried to massage the anger out of him.

"Mmm... what will I do without you Kikyou?" Inuyasha mumbled as he kissed her back. Inwardly, Kikyou smirked. He is just where she wanted him.

----~~~----

He looked around the basement of his company. Rows and rows of large test tubes with green fluid inside filled this section of his laboratory. Inside the test tubes were unidentifiable figures with what appeared to be wires connecting the figures to the bottom of the test tubes. Bubbles appeared in the fluid every so often.

_Everything is going according to plan... And it is all thanks to you, Inuyasha. _He thought evilly as he stepped in front of a gigantic test tube.

Now that the Jewel has appeared due to the intervention of one of his minions, the next phase of his plan will be able to be set forth. But first... he needs to make sure his soldiers are ready. He pressed the large red button on the panel in front of the test tube. What appeared to be eyes on the figure began to twitch, before opening slowly. Its irises changed to a plethora of colours before settling on black. The fluid drained slowly out of the test tube into a sink located further underground, until only the figure inside was left.

The test tube surrounding the figure was hauled up by a large clamp suspended from the ceiling. The man who pressed the button carefully disconnected the wires from the figure. The figure, who stepped out of the test tube, looked like an ordinary human, except for his formidable size and short aqua green hair that stuck up on his head, held back by an iron headband.

The man grinned. _Go and tell your brothers that... it is time. _He commanded in his mind as the figure disappeared completely from his sight.

-

A/N: And so... the plot thickens :)! Hope you liked the newest installation, and the next one will be posted within the next week.


	7. Chapter 6: Patience

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha. **

Chapter 6 - Patience

The skyscraper where InuYasha's company was housed was a flurry of activity as secretaries ran with folders piled on their hands towards the photocopying machine, office ladies trying to remain as dignified as possible whilst screaming at a reporter via the phone, and managers yelling at their personal assistants to get more coffee. However, all activity ceased when Inuyasha arrived at the floor. People were hastily bowing to him as others were busy balancing the pile of folders in their arms. Assistants that were busy dashing with coffee hissed in pain as coffee spilled on their hand upon their abrupt haste to bow to the CEO.

Inuyasha barely noticed as he walked through the frozen scene and slammed the door to his office behind him. Barely one second later, his shout could be heard throughout the office.

"WHY IS MY COFFEE NOT WARM?" He swore under his breath. _Incompetent secretaries..._

His personal assistant knocked, carrying in her hands a mug of still steaming coffee.

"I'm very sorry for the tepid coffee, Taishou-sama." She bit out, her hands clutching the mug of coffee tightly.

"Is that for me, Kagura?" Inuyasha said as he logged onto his computer. Kagura resentfully placed the mug on his desk so hard that some coffee spilled over.

"Remember who gives you your paycheck, Kagura" Inuyasha said in response to her display of anger. She seethed inside as she turned her heels and left the room, without bothering to wipe the spilled coffee from his desk.

_I wish the dumbhead would've stayed on his honeymoon for at least a while longer... Makes it that much more difficult to proceed with the plan. Oh well, at least yelling at the wolf to hurry was fun. Definitely the highlight of this depressing day. Stupid Naraku... what was he thinking when he assigned me to serve this dumbhead?_ She thought as she proceeded back to her cubicle. He doesn't even pay her that well for being a personal assistant to the CEO of a really big company. She shook her head in disappointment. _Unlike Sesshoumaru Taishou, who pays his assistant at least three times the amount that Inuyasha pays me, _Kagura thought hatefully. She'd be that much closer to earning enough money to help her sister...

She shook her head to rid herself of these depressing thoughts before turning to her work. On her to-do list today... was to find a more permanent hack to disrupt the network. Last time it only lasted for a brief second. However, a brief second was not enough to satisfy Naraku. He wants Inuyasha's network to collapse, and hopefully with it, his life.

----~~~----

_It's a bright morning with not a cloud in the sky... He mused as he sat beneath the Goshinboku. He sighed as he took in the nature around him. His eyes slowly closed as the tranquility of the scene lulled him to a soft sleep. _

_ He was rudely awakened by two very high voices arguing. _

_ "No... he didn't!" One shrieked in surprise. The other giggled in reply. _

_ "Wow Izayoi, I'm so jealous!!" The one who shrieked previously said with a playful smile. The one named Izayoi giggled again, before speaking. _

_ "Ne Sakura-chan, it's not like he proposed or anything." She said softly, her mind already wandering to what just happened. _

_ "He might as well have! Why else would he give you the teddy bear with the white ribbon to you today, of all days? Ah, he's such a romantic!" Sakura said as she made fun of her friend. _

_ "Ano..." Izayoi blushed profusely as she didn't know how to reply. _

_ "Ne, are you guys doing anything special tonight?" Sakura asked curiously. _

_ "He said it's a surprise..." Izayoi said, blushing again. Sakura looked at her knowingly. _

_ "I see... Ah, look who it is!" Sakura said suddenly as she noticed the man beneath the Goshinboku. Izayoi stiffened slightly as the man approached them. _

_ "Oi Onigumo, what are you up to? Came to see if Izayoi would walk me back home today?" Sakura teased him. He smiled slightly, keeping his lips sealed. _

_ "Konnichiwa, Onigumo-kun." Izayoi said in an uncomfortable voice. _

_ "Izayoi... I want to apologize for the other day." Onigumo began. Sakura, feeling as though she was intruding, took this opportunity to bid her leave. _

_ "Ne Izayoi, I'll catch you tomorrow at the university. Onigumo, take care of her will you?" Sakura waved as she bounded into the shrine, leaving the two to their conversation. _

_ "Izayoi..." Onigumo tried again as Izayoi started to walk out of the shrine and towards the direction of her house. _

_ "Why can't you leave him alone?" Izayoi asked in a soft voice. Onigumo clenched his hands into fists. _

_ "He doesn't deserve you. Did you know that I saw him with HER again the other day? Hand in hand at the mall like any other loving couple. It makes me sick!" Onigumo yelled in anger. _

_ "He already explained to me. His parents wish for them to be acquainted with each other for purely economic reasons." Izayoi calmly replied. Onigumo's eyebrow twitched. _

_ "Do you know what he said to me when he gave me the teddy bear?" Izayoi asked, her voice barely audible. Onigumo craned his neck to listen. _

_ "He said that... he loves me. And that he would never love another as he loves me..." Izayoi finished. Onigumo felt his world was collapsing. __**Touga Taishou...**_

He awoke with the name of his archnemesis in his mind. He growled in anger. His dream was going so well... and HE had to ruin it. He crushed his alarm clock in anger, clearly upset about his dream.

_Why was she so dedicated to him? What was it about him that drew Izayoi to him like a moth to a flame? _ He thought as he showered.

_It is of no consequence...I shall ask her upon completion of my plan._

----~~~----

"What the hell happened?" The irate voice of Inuyasha rang through the business room.

"I... don't know how it could've happened... Our algorithms were perfect... There was no way the hacker could've disrupted the network!" One scientist stuttered out, intimidated by Inuyasha's voice.

"Do you know what this means?" A business man on the right side of the table asked calmly.

"... The beginning of the end for us." A beautiful woman on the left side of the table answered.

"When Inuyasha's scientists came up with the means to conceal our demonic markings, we could finally blend in with the human community. For years, no one has even begun to crack the network that sustains this concealment spell. What happened?" The business man asked.

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he propped up his head with a hand under his chin, his face betraying his irritation.

"None of you are to leave this building until you can say with 100% certainty that it will never happen again in the history of the world... Or I will feed you to the wolves." Inuyasha commanded as he got out of his comfortable chair at the head of the table and left the room.

"Meeting adjourned." Kagura said in the wake of Inuyasha's departure, before hastily leaving the room as well.

"Kagura, coffee." Kagura heard before the slamming of her boss' door. She shook her head. It was his eighth of the day, and it's not even noon yet.

----~~~----

"Welcome back, Kikyou."

"I don't feel like I've left at all." Kikyou bit back angrily. The man laughed evilly.

"And here I would've thought that you'd appreciate the vacation." He replied sarcastically.

"Cut to the chase Naraku, what the hell do you want? I'm mad enough at your lackey as it is. He's dumb enough to ask me for help when all he had to do was look into the nearest hospital in the area." She said, stopping herself from hitting his desk with her hand.

"Tell me, what think you about being a mother?" Naraku asked, completely ignoring her ire. Her face betrayed her shock.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kikyou retorted as the initial shock set in.

"I mean... what I said." Naraku toyed with her. He nodded and a man stepped out from the shadows of the office.

"Kikyou, Dr. Sui. He will be your doctor during your pregnancy." The doctor bowed low as he led Kikyou out of Naraku's office and escorted her to his own, which is located in the recesses of the building.

And so his plan was set in motion.

----~~~----

That same evening...

He stared out of his trademark sunglasses at the hospital looming in front of him. _Kagura is such a... _His thoughts were interrupted by a loud siren behind him, followed by multiple impatient honks.

"Yo, stop taking up the entire driveway. Some people need to get in the emergency room, you know." The driver of the ambulance shouted as he stuck up the middle finger at the man in sunglasses.

_Stupid human, you have no idea how fast I can kill you if I wanted to..._ He leisurely strolled into his car and backed out of the wide driveway before driving to the parking lot. _So much for saving for the parking fee... You owe me 10000 yen, Naraku._

Inside the hospital, he was attacked by the smell of antiseptics and disease. It took all of his willpower to keep his hand beside him, and not covering his sensitive nose. He wandered along the hallways, ignoring the curious glances of the nurses and irritated glances of the doctors.

He finally approached the coma ward. He asked the receptionist if she knew of a girl who came into the coma ward recently after being hit by a car. The receptionist regarded him suspiciously before disclosing the information.

"Kagome Higurashi? Third room to your left down the hallway." She said, before returning to her work. He nodded in thanks before proceeding down the hall. He bumped shoulders with a doctor along the way, and without bothering to apologize, stepped inside the room. Dr. Miroku stared at the peculiar stranger before continuing down the hallway to his office. It took a lot of coaxing, but Sango finally relented in going on a 'date' with him. If you could call grabbing a coffee at the hospital cafeteria a date, that is.

The man with sunglasses stopped as he took in the sight of the girl he had hit. She looked very fragile with all the tubes and machinery around her. Her breathing appeared to be even, but shallow. Her face seemed peaceful, despite the circumstances which put her in the bed in the first place.

He clenched his hands into fists. _Why does Naraku want this woman...Perhaps in another life, this woman... could have been mine, _he thought as he sat on the bed, his finger touching the unconscious woman's cheek gently. God knows what Naraku would do to him if he disobeyed his orders again... he shuddered at the thought.

_I'm sorry... Kagome Higurashi. _He thought before taking his vial necklace out of his jacket, and preparing for the retrieval of her soul.

----~~~----

A/N: Thank you to all who took the time to review the story. I hope that you liked this chapter, despite the lack of presence of the two main leads. Rest assured, they'll definitely appear in the next chapter, which will be posted sometime next week.


	8. Chapter 7: Worry

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha.**

Chapter 7 – Worry 

"Wait, I know that face! It's asking me if I plan on following you indefinitely!" A certain happy spirit chirped as she sat on the leather seat of a car that a certain stoic but Adonis-like man owned. Said man did not reply, as she expected.

"Well, the answer is yes, if you were wondering. See, this Kagome has nothing better to do with the infinite amount of time at her disposal so she has no choice but to follow the only person that is able to see her around." She said in a breath. Sesshoumaru still ignored her.

"This Sesshoumaru cares not for your inane chatter." Kagome imitated as best as possible Sesshoumaru's voice to make it seem like she wasn't talking to herself.

"This Sesshoumaru's voice is far smoother than your weak imitation, spirit." Sesshoumaru said stoically. Kagome choked in surprise.

"SMOOTHER? Well I'm sorry for making it seem less angelic than what it is to you." Kagome said sarcastically. Her retort was answered with silence, as she expected.

"Ne Sesshoumaru, where are we going now?" She asked randomly while looking out the window.

"It was agreed upon that this Sesshoumaru lends his superior intellect to a certain stupid han-, half-brother of mine." He replied monotonously.

"Ne Sesshoumaru, can you speak in any tone other than monotone?" She asked, completely oblivious to him correcting his sentence halfway.

"This Sesshoumaru speaks in many tones." He said, sounding slightly offended.

"Wow, monotone and offended tone. What a joy it must be to talk to you." Kagome answered drily. Sesshoumaru chose to ignore that, as usual. He drove on in silence.

"Spirit, why have you ceased your inane chatter?" Sesshoumaru asked a few minutes into the silence that reigned in the car. He spared a look at the soul sitting on the seat beside him. His eyes widened slightly in surprise as he realized that the outline of her soul is becoming blurrier than usual.

He took his right hand off the steering wheel and waved it through the soul sitting beside him. He spared another glance at her and realized that she was becoming translucent.

"Spirit." He said in a commanding tone. She turned her gaze from the window to the man beside her.

"Yes, driver?" She said in a wispy voice.

"You are... disappearing." He stated, completely ignoring the insult to his person. She didn't have time to reply as she felt a sharp tug in her gut before feeling a strong force pushing her out of the car.

"Sesshou..." Was all he heard before she disappeared completely from his view.

"Kagome?" He said cautiously into the car that he occupied. However, he heard no reply. Something in him urged him to find her immediately, but his rational side reasoned that the matter can wait until after the network issue has been dealt with. After all, where can she possibly disappear to when he has access to the most technologically advanced GPS system in the world?

----~~~----

He closed his eyes in concentration as he held the vial necklace over her body, waiting for her soul to be absorbed into the vial. He opened his eyes after a while, noticing that it didn't glow red as it had previously. It didn't change at all.

_Today isn't my day..._ He thought as he tried again, this time fusing some of his youki into the necklace, strengthening the force needed to pull the soul out of the body.

"...maru!" he suddenly heard. He opened his eyes in surprise, just in time to see a girl fall through the window and into the room. She stood up from her position on the floor before looking at the man standing in front of her.

"Where am I? Who are you?" She asked shakily. The strong force seemed to have pushed her to a hospital room...

"Wait is this where..." She asked to no one in particular as she took in the sight of her lying on the bed.

"Ah, I'll never get used to seeing that." She said, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Who did you say you were?" Kagome asked the man who was staring at her with a shocked expression on his face.

"I... didn't say anything." He said, trying to regain his composure.

"Well, I'm going to ask again then. Who are you? And what are you doing in my hospital room over my comatose body?" She asked in a suspicious tone.

"Uh... The name's Kouga." He said lamely after coming up with nothing else to say.

"So Kouga, what were you doing over my comatose body?" Kagome asked, already tiring of the conversation.

"Uh... Excuse me for a second." He said before dashing out of the room. It didn't occur to Kagome until a minute after he left.

"Wait a minute... how can he see or hear me?" She asked to thin air before deciding to find him for answers.

----~~~----

"You better not get this one hacked again, or this Sesshoumaru will cease to bail you out next time." Sesshoumaru said in a threatening tone to his half-brother, who happened to be sitting in front of him.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Tell Kagura I need another cup of coffee when you leave, will ya?" Inuyasha said carelessly, downing the rest that was in his mug.

"This Sesshoumaru takes orders from no one." Was his reply before stalking out of Inuyasha's office gracefully.

Inuyasha sighed. He paged Kagura via his phone and told her to bring in the coffee.

_But he was going that way anyways..._ He thought miserably before turning back to his work. Thanks to Sesshoumaru, the network was back in place. Though he hated to credit his half-brother for anything, he had to admit that Sesshoumaru was a genius when it came to technology. How else could he solve the problem that plagued his scientists for the past few days in a short hour?

----~~~----

"Out of my way." He said in an authoritative tone as he pushed the scientist sitting in front of the large screen off his chair.

"H-h-hai, Taishou-sama." He stuttered on the floor before standing up and watching his boss type furiously on the keyboard.

_Kagome... where are you?_ He unconsciously thought as he accessed the GPS that tracked auras and spirit signatures. Seconds later, he got his answer. He hastily left the lab, leaving a surprised scientist in his wake.

_He's never been in such a rush before... Why did he need to find this particular spirit signature?_ He thought curiously, before taking a look carefully at the screen. The blinking light was at the hospital...He was suddenly hit with a sense of déjà vu.

_Of course... could it be... the same one? _He thought, before his cell phone rang.

"Moshi moshi?" He said into the phone.

"...Kouga? What do you want?" He whispered hastily, looking around him to make sure that no one heard. He walked hurriedly to the bathroom, locking himself in.

"...I don't know, ask Bank! He's the one who developed the thing... I wish I could take the credit but he was the genius behind the invention... Why don't you give him a call...So much for 'I don't need your f-ing phone number', huh?... Do you have paper and pen handy? It's ... "

----~~~----

"... Thanks Souta, I owe you." Kouga turned off his cell phone and looked at the number scribbled on his hand. He turned to give the nurse back her pen before turning towards his phone to call. He stopped short when he saw a certain girl give him the evil eye.

"Did you just say Souta?" She asked suspiciously.

"Uh..." Kouga said, again at a loss for words.

"Look Kouga, it's really important that I know." Kagome pleaded. Kouga looked at her for a full minute, before giving her a cautious nod. A tear escaped her eye. Kouga looked on in surprise.

"What... what did I do now?" He asked, trying to see why he made her cry.

Kagome shook her head. "Souta..." She mumbled under her breath, tears now running freely down her face.

"Who is Souta to you? And... can you please stop crying? Here, have a tissue." Kouga hastily took a tissue from the box on top of the reception desk and handed it to her, the tissue passing through her. He stopped in surprise.

"What the hell..." He started to say before he felt the collar of his jacket being pulled and his body hitting the wall hard.

"What the..." He began to say again as he saw his aggressor.

"Se...sshoumaru Taishou!" He gasped in surprise.

"Hn. What are you doing here, Kouga?" He cut to the chase. Kouga didn't reply, but instead opted to look at the woman crying, who was now sitting on the floor.

"What have you done?" He asked, the acid evident in his voice.

"I don't know man, she just spontaneously started crying! It wasn't my fault!" Kouga said desperately.

"No violence in the hospital please." The nurse said softly, before pretending that she didn't witness the entire escapade with a delirious man who wears sunglasses in the evening talking to thin air.

Sesshoumaru reluctantly let go of Kouga before turning his attention to Kagome.

"Kagome..." He whispered softly. Kagome looked at him with her doe-like eyes now rimmed with tears. Kouga attempted to approach her with the tissue in his hand, but Sesshoumaru flared his youki in warning. He took one last glance at the woman on the floor before taking off.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the amount of power that Sesshoumaru exuded from his aura. Sesshoumaru just stared at her.

"Were you... worried about me?" Kagome asked with a small smile on her face. He looked away, choosing not to answer. He duly noted that the nurse conveniently left for a coffee break, perhaps to convince herself that all she had witnessed was a dream.

"Thanks for caring Sesshoumaru." Kagome said, capturing his attention again. He nodded at the figure in front of him, who was shining with happiness, before using a finger to wipe the tear that was threatening to fall from her eye. She leaned forward and hugged him in reply.

----~~~----

A/N: Well I got this chapter finished a lot faster than I thought, so here it is. I couldn't resist posting it, there being no appearance of Sesshoumaru or Kagome at all last chapter, so here they are. Hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter will be longer than usual, and will be posted next week.


	9. Chapter 8: Dread

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha. **

_Previously..._

"Were you... worried about me?" Kagome asked with a small smile on her face. He looked away, choosing not to answer. He duly noted that the nurse conveniently left for a coffee break, perhaps to convince herself that all she had witnessed was a dream.

"Thanks for caring Sesshoumaru." Kagome said, capturing his attention again. He nodded at the figure in front of him, who was shining with happiness, before using a finger to wipe the tear that was threatening to fall from her eye. She leaned forward and hugged him in reply.

----~~~----

Chapter 8 – Dread

"So what the hell are we supposed to do in the meantime?" A rude voice asked. The messenger just shrugged.

"And why am I the last one to hear anything?" The rude voice whined. The messenger didn't reply either.

"Can you say something other than 'it is time'?" The voice asked, tiring of the one-sidedness of the conversation. The messenger began to stalk away, apparently eager to make his last stop.

"To think that we used to travel together and massacre all that stood in our way... I barely recognize him. He's become more... taciturn." He mused, playing with the torches he had in his hands.

_I can't wait to be able to kill freely again... _He thought before practicing his juggling act for tomorrow.

----~~~----

"Yo, Bank..." Kouga started to say in his cell phone before he got hung up on.

"Yo..." Kouga called again, only to be cut off again. Angered, he decided to just storm in the house. He rang the doorbell furiously multiple times before throwing his weight against the door as the person inside was opening it.

"Dude, what's the big idea?" The man who opened the door asked as he found himself being tackled onto the ground.

"Why did you hang up on me?" Kouga yelled furiously into the man's ear.

"... I didn't want to talk to you. I didn't want to see you. And I still don't." He said rudely as he wrestled Kouga off him and stood up, dusting himself off in the process.

"Well I just called to tell you that I was coming. To throw this piece of junk back in your face." Kouga emphasized the last part of his sentence while taking off the vial necklace and hurling it towards the man, who caught it in midair.

"Hey don't you dare call it a piece of junk. It was one of my proudest inventions!" He yelled, affronted.

"Well I'm calling it a piece of junk because it is a piece of junk. Kagome's soul didn't get sucked in." Kouga angrily said.

"And now I'm going back to Naraku empty handed. Thanks a lot, Bank." He said in a milder tone. Bank stared at him before examining the necklace.

"There's nothing wrong with it... It should've worked. Why didn't it?" Bank said after a moment of inspection.

"I don't know... Kagome's soul came from outside the window and not from her body, for one. Which begs the question, how did her soul get separated from her body in the first place?" Kouga asked as he seated himself on a chair in the living room.

"Did you try to retrieve her soul before?" Bank inquired, curious.

"Yeah, once. But I got interrupted. The necklace glowed, but I had to leave before the soul could be absorbed."

"Hm... interesting. I must look into this. It appears that the necklace's capabilities are not limitless, as we had hoped. We know that it works with human and demon souls, so what makes this one so special? Is it because the first absorption didn't go to completion?" Bank muttered under his breath, already thinking up solutions.

"Yo, call me up when you find the solution." Kouga said, ready to leave.

"Will do. By the way, here." Bank said as he threw another vial necklace to Kouga.

"He won't ask questions that way." Was all he said before Kouga walked out the door, leaving Bank to his work.

----~~~----

_"Izayoi... can we talk about this?" Onigumo pleaded through the phone. _

_ "It's not talking if you keep insulting him every other sentence." She replied, her patience already beginning to wear thin. _

_ "But he is a son of a..." He heard a click on the other side of the phone. She hung up on him again. He threw his cell phone across the room where it landed against the wall and broke. For good measure, he kicked the edge of his bed. _

_ She knew Onigumo meant well, but his anger always got the better of him. Izayoi played around with the stuffed bear that Touga gave her. _

_ She held the bear in her embrace for a bit, already feeling better after the awful phone call with Onigumo. _

_ "He doesn't understand Touga like I do..." The teddy bear looked at her blankly. Izayoi smiled softly as she played with the bear's hands and made the bear wave. _

_ "Don't be sad" she imagined the bear saying. She hugged it again in reply. _

_ Her cell phone rang again. She picked up after a few rings. _

_ "Izayoi?" A masculine voice asked from the other end. _

_ "Touga!" She chirped happily in reply. _

_ "Izayoi... I'm sorry we weren't able to meet up as scheduled. Something... came up." He said hesitantly. _

_ "It's okay, I know! Family matters, right?" Izayoi said, not caring that they couldn't go out and have dinner the day he gave her the teddy bear. _

_ "Are you free on Saturday?" _

_ "Yep!" _

_ "I'll pick you up at 2 then." _

_ "Okay, I can't wait!" _

_ "Good night koi." He said in an affectionate voice. _

_ "Good night!" She replied, her heart warming up already. She hung up and hugged the teddy bear fiercely. _

_ "He didn't forget about me!" She said happily as she twirled the teddy bear around. _

_ "Ne, I have to give you a name!" She thought long and hard. _

_ "How about... Bear Bear?" The teddy bear nodded under her manipulation. _

_ "Bear Bear!" She giggled as she turned off the light, got into bed and drifted off into sleep. _

_ On the other end of the phone conversation, Touga was sitting in his study, looking thoughtfully out the window. _

_ "Did you forget what's happening on Saturday?" A woman's voice asked in the background. _

_ "A boring adult tea party which I will not be attending." He answered in a bored tone, his mood soured by her appearance. _

_ "A boring adult tea party that you are obligated to attend." She said with a tone of finality before sweeping out the door. _

_ "Do not forget, my son." He didn't reply. He didn't know why his parents wanted to hook him up with that woman so badly. Perhaps it was because her family owns the biggest biotechnology company in the world, and has branches all over the world. _

_ His parents' lust for power and status disgusted him. They owned a company that was responsible for the development of technology that masked the existence of demons in human society. It was also an international corporation, perhaps that was why his family wanted a union with the female's family so badly. _

_**For more power, status and wealth...**__ He mused as his thoughts slowly drifted to Izayoi, the light of his life. _

----~~~----

_She looks so cute in her kitty pajamas..._ He cut off that thought before he let it run away from him. He did NOT find the girl cute. Okay, maybe an iota cute. He inwardly sighed before turning to the problem at hand.

"How is it that you are able to embrace this Sesshoumaru before passing right through?" He demanded an answer. Kagome shrugged, looking around at her surroundings. They were at the park in front of the hospital, sitting on a bench facing the sea. The sun has not yet risen, but already the night is not as dark.

"Woman, I asked you a question." He brought a hand to grab her chin and force her to look at him, only to pass through it.

"Look, I don't know. I don't know why we could touch for a brief moment and then it's back to passing through me the next. All I know was that I felt really tingly and happy..." She trailed off, staring off into space again.

"Hn." Was his reply as he too slipped into his thoughts. He thought she was glowing with happiness... literally. For that brief moment, he could swear that he felt a mysterious power that caused his youki to tingle. Clearly, she was not just an average spirit.

"Sesshoumaru?" She asked hesitantly. He looked at her, waiting for her question.

"Why... did you come for me?" She asked, staring straight into his deep amber eyes. He leaned towards her, stopping only when his face was a breath away from hers, all the while keeping eye contact. Kagome felt her cheeks heat up at his proximity.

"Why... indeed." He stated, before pulling back abruptly, snarling.

"Show your face." He stood defensively in front of Kagome. A large green-haired man came out from the darkest shadows of the night.

"Who are you?" Kagome asked inquisitively, peering from behind Sesshoumaru.

"My name... Kyoukotsu." The green-haired man said in a deep gruff voice.

"Kyoukotsu... what are you doing here?" She asked meekly, intimidated by his presence.

"Deliver... message. Deliver... package."

"Message? Package?" Kagome questioned, looking at Sesshoumaru for answers. He looked at her with a stony face and eyes that appear to be saying 'Why the hell would I know'.

"It is time." Kyoukotsu said.

"That's the message?" Kagome asked, thoroughly confused. Kyoukotsu nodded.

"Then what's the package?"

"You." Kagome's eyes widened in surprise.

"How is it that you can see her." Sesshoumaru asked the most obvious question that failed to occur to Kagome.

"She... exist. I... see." Kyoukotsu said before attacking Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru quickly dodged before telling Kagome to hide somewhere safe. Kagome half glided, half ran away from the duo. She was stopped short by Kyoukotsu standing in front of her path.

"Why are you here?" Kagome squeaked.

"Capture... you." Sesshoumaru summoned an acid whip and hit Kyoukotsu with it, his flesh burning upon contact with the whip.

"Go now before my whip passes through you." He calmly stated before going after Kyoukotsu.

"I'm... trying!" Kagome wailed as she found her path blocked by Kyoukotsu no matter where she attempted to go.

"Ah, to hell with it!" She decided to run through Kyoukotsu to escape. As she ran headlong into Kyoukotsu, she found herself unable to move past him. In fact, it appears that she's stuck in his body.

_Mission... accomplished._ She heard from Kyoukotsu's mind. She screamed as she looked through Kyoukotsu's eyes, feeling the acid burning into Kyoukotsu's skin as though it was burning through her own.

"Ah, it hurts!" She yelled, hearing Kyoukotsu's voice boom out into the night.

"...Kagome?" Sesshoumaru inquired, curious at the turn of events.

"Sesshoumaru, what's happening?" She asked in a panicked voice.

"You are disappearing." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What?" She looked at Kyoukotsu's hands and body. Indeed, he was disappearing into the night.

"DO SOMETHING!" Kagome yelled out.

_There is no way to escape._ She heard Kyoukotsu chuckle in his mind. She shuddered at the ominous tone of his voice.

"Sesshoumaru! Help!" She reached out for Sesshoumaru as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, Kyoukotsu's consciousness pressing hers into the darkest recesses of his mind.

"Silence... girl..." Kyoukotsu growled out as he fought Kagome for control of his body.

"Release her." Sesshoumaru commanded.

"Over...my... dead...body..." He muttered as he felt a pain-splitting headache. He felt his back burn as the tattoo glowed dark red.

"Stop... fighting... girl..." He doubled over onto the ground, unable to move.

_Over my dead body! _She yelled in his mind, feeling a sudden rush of power. A bright pink light enveloped Kyoukotsu. Kagome tried her best to block his dying screams from her consciousness, but it was virtually impossible as she was stuck in his body. His parting words chilled her to the bone. _This is just the beginning... I have already contacted my brothers. You will not escape._

Sesshoumaru shielded his eyes from the bright light that enveloped Kyoukotsu, his youki protecting him from the waves of power that was emitted from the light. He snarled as he backed away from the light after feeling the light purify the edges of his youki.

_What are you... Kagome?_

Seconds later, the bright light faded, leaving only Kagome in the place where Kyoukotsu was. Behind her, the sun was beginning to rise.

----~~~----

"Naraku." Kouga bowed deeply as he entered his boss' office.

"Why have you failed again, Kouga?" He asked while sitting on his comfortable chair, whose back was facing Kouga.

Kouga was about to reply before he was interrupted by hurried knocks on the door.

"Enter." Naraku's voice cut through the room. Kagura came in through the door. She closed it after she entered.

"Naraku... you told me that I could see my sister. Where is she?" She demanded. He swivelled his chair so that he was facing his minions.

"After I deal with Kouga. Why have you failed." He said, putting his hands together, propping his elbows in the desk and propping his head on top of his entwined fingers.

"The... vial didn't work." Kouga stated lamely. Naraku bored his deep blood-red eyes into his. He shifted uncomfortably. If looks could kill... he probably wouldn't be alive to finish that thought.

"Kanna is... unavailable for visitors at the moment. Kagura, go with Kouga and ensure that he does not fail this time." He threw a folder on his desk before turning to face the window again.

"See to it that you do not fail me again Kouga... You will find that I will not be as forgiving as this time." He chuckled darkly.

Kagura snarled. "You..."

"Come on Kagura, let's go." Kouga picked up the folder from the desk, grabbed Kagura's wrist and dragged her towards the door. Kagura swallowed her anger, feeling it bubble uncomfortably in her stomach. She slammed the door shut after her.

Naraku smiled. His plan couldn't possibly be going better... Thanks to Kyoukotsu, he now knew for sure that Kagome is the one that he needs. His untimely demise was unfortunate, but he had other minions at his disposal. Now to check up on Kikyou... He dialled Dr. Sui through the phone.

----~~~----

A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers, and I apologize for the delay in the release of this chapter. The plot bunnies have deserted me, I'm afraid =( The next one should be up in a week or two, depending on whether the inspiration decides to return or not.


	10. Chapter 9: Confusion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha, nor do I own the awesome glove thing from Bleach. **

Chapter 9 – Confusion 

"So, purifier." His baritone voice stated in a serious tone.

"What?" Said purifier angrily retorted.

"Is there anything else that you are hiding from this Sesshoumaru?"

"If you call not knowing anything about anything that just happened hiding, then yes. Plenty." Kagome replied sarcastically.

"Hn." He said, effectively ending the conversation. They were walking back towards Kagome's room after her spontaneous desire to be close to her comatose body, as if that were the answer to all of her questions.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome halted in front of the room as they realized that there were already two occupants in the room.

"Sango!" Kagome cried aloud in cheerfulness as she ran towards Sango with her arms wide, passing through her body with an uncomfortable tingle.

"..." Kagome was rendered speechless as she realized that her spirit is still invisible to her and apparently, her newfound powers of possessing someone's body has failed. Sesshoumaru just stared on as he inwardly sighed. _So many unknowns where this woman is concerned... It is as though she is chaos incarnate, disrupting the delicate balance of life with her presence._

Sango turned mutely as Dr. Miroku shifted his gaze from Kagome's comatose body to their new visitor.

"Ohayou gozaimasu..." She said in a fairly weak voice.

"Were you a friend of the patient's?" Dr. Miroku asked, straight to the point.

Sesshoumaru just stared as Kagome's spirit lingered over her body, her sadness causing the atmosphere of the room to become suffocating.

He was shaken out of his stupor as Sango spoke, "Please leave. I don't know who you are or who you were to Kagome, but if you're just here to mope around, there's someone here doing that already."

"Your friend..." Sesshoumaru began as his eyes widened, registering the actions of the spirit of a certain woman.

"What do you think you're doing..." Sesshoumaru began as he looked on in horror. Kagome was in the process of sticking her arm in Dr. Miroku's back. Her eyes widened as she realized that after the initial tingling feeling has passed, her arm was stuck inside.

"SHOOT! Sesshoumaru, DO SOMETHING!" Kagome yelled in surprise. Dr. Miroku felt a sudden tingling in his back as he heard a very sharp noise in his ears. He placed his hands over his ears to block the shrill noise from injuring his eardrums.

"This Sesshoumaru knows not of how to remedy this situation." He blatantly stated, calmly taking in the scene in front of him. Sango was baffled as she watched the handsome man speak to a portion of air that appeared to be by Dr. Miroku.

"Uh.. excuse me, but are you... you know..." She made a swirly motion with her index finger beside her temple.

"Crazy?" Sesshoumaru filled in for her. Sango nodded.

"Hn... with the woman, every second is crazy." He admitted, returning his gaze to the comedic sight in front of him. Dr. Miroku, whose torso is feeling increasingly uncomfortable, felt as though someone crashed into him from behind. His head hurt for a split second before he heard it.

"Uh... hello. How do I get out of here?" A feminine voice said in his mind.

_Well hell-ooooo, ojou-sama. Would you do me the great honor of bearing my children?_ He thought in his mind.

_On the day of the 'boring adult tea party', as he had so dubbed it, he found himself arise to a window whose curtains were parted, and a very bright and sunny day waiting ahead of him. _

_ "What perfect weather for a tea party!" He heard a certain female voice chirp in happiness as she went on to shake her son to wakefulness. Touga felt himself being shaken back and forth before he felt a headache arise. _

_ "Mother, stop it." He said in an irritated manner. _

_ "Be down in no more than 10 minutes darling, everyone's waiting in the parlour." She said before leaving the room, firmly closely the door behind her. _

_ Touga yawned. He looked at the clock before getting up from the bed. It read 7:30am. He groaned as he got into the bathroom, took care of his daily rituals and was dressed in a comfortable polo shirt and a pair of jeans within the allotted time frame. He closed the door behind him as he left for the parlour. _

_ Walking down the stairs, he gapped at the sight of the strangers sitting on the sofas. One was a lithe, young female with long silver hair pulled into what looked like really long pigtails dressed in a blouse and a dress, who was nodding politely at the conversation. Another was a stern male with a similar hue of hair cropped short, dressed in a clean tuxedo. _

_ "Touga, you are late!" He heard his mother fuss as she stood up from her place beside Touga's father on the sofa. Touga shook himself mentally out of his stupor as he gingerly nodded. _

_ "Please, take a seat beside Kyoko." His mother all but pushed as he sat down awkwardly beside the attractive female. She gently blushed at his proximity before turning her attention elsewhere. _

_ "I do apologize for the stale conversation, Kyoko-san. Would you like to explore our gardens with Touga?" Touga heard his father say, in a tone far more gentle than he thought that his own father was capable of. Kyoko smiled gratefully before nodding. _

_ "That sounds lovely, Taishou-sama. Thank you." She said formally. Before he realized what he was doing, Touga was standing up and holding out a hand for her. She smiled as she placed her dainty hand on his, and stood up. _

_ "Please excuse us." Touga said stiffly before leading Kyoko out of the stuffy parlour and into the gardens, his hand on her back. _

_ "Ugh, thank goodness we're out of there." Kyoko said in relief as soon as they were out of earshot. Touga smiled in surprise. _

_ "Agreed." He said as he took in the breathtaking sight of the garden behind his home. _

_ "These roses are lovely." Kyoko admired the blue rose in the corner. _

_ "That one's my favourite." Touga admitted as he stepped closer to the female. _

_ "I believe that it is now mine as well. The colour is beautiful." She continued to admire the rose, unaware of his presence behind her. _

_ "My name is Touga Taishou, pleased to make your acquaintance." He whispered in a low voice by her ear. She gasped softly in surprise as her head turned to the source of the voice. Neither moved for a long time despite the fact that their faces were almost touching._

_ She was the first to break away from the moment, opting instead to observe the pavement. _

_ "You have a beautiful... path." She said shyly, feeling her face turn warm. _

_ "Thank you for the compliment, my lady." He responded smoothly, reveling in the reaction that his stare and presence caused her. _

_ "Um... can I ask you something? It's quite personal, so I understand completely if you opt not to answer." She said after a brief moment's pause of consideration. He nodded tersely. _

_ "Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked abruptly. He turned his attention to the blue rose beside them. He didn't answer for a full minute. _

_ "Does it matter?" He whispered so softly that she nearly didn't catch it. She couldn't reply. They stood there in silence before it was broken by the voice of Touga's mother. _

_ "We're going to take the limo to a nice restaurant for breakfast now. Come here, Kyoko dear. I have much to discuss with you." She said, completely unaware of the atmosphere that she had interrupted. _

_ Kyoko turned to give an apologetic look at Touga before leaving the garden, arm in arm with the elder woman. Touga turned to look at the blue rose one more time, lost in his thoughts. _

_**Izayoi...**_

_ He turned to leave the garden to join his parents. Unbeknownst to him, a petal fell gently from the flower, landing on the cold stone pavement._

"Sorry about that, he was being a pervert." Kagome in Dr. Miroku's body said, a few minutes of silence later.

Sango looked at Dr. Miroku funny.

"What the heck are you talking about, Dr. Miroku?" Sango inquired.

"Nevermind, Sango I'm just really really glad that you can hear me!" Sango didn't know how to respond to that.

"Oh, there's so much to tell you! Oh, by the way, I'm borrowing Miroku's body to talk to you. I have no clue how to get out of here afterwards though, so I guess I'm stuck here until Sesshoumaru over there discovers a solution." Kagome said.

Sango stared suspiciously at the stoic man who was now standing beside Kagome's bed, peering curiously at the comatose Kagome and showing no indication whatsoever that he just heard Kagome's tirade.

Kagome in Dr. Miroku's body coughed to get his attention.

"So I'm stuck here until SESSHOUMARU discovers a solution." Kagome repeated, trying to get across to the silver haired man who appeared to be making a point of ignoring her.

Sesshoumaru sighed in exasperation.

"I'm collecting data on this phenomenon, spirit. Please be quiet and allow this Sesshoumaru to work." He said in a monotone voice before ignoring Kagome again.

"Oh okay. Sangoooo I have so much to talk to you about!" Kagome said, forgetting that she was in Miroku's body for the time being.

Sango was in turmoil. The world no longer made sense. Either that, or Dr. Miroku was turning more and more feminine with each passing sentence.

"Miroku, are you... high on something?" She tried once more to obtain a rational reason for this situation.

"I'm not Miroku, Sango. I'm Kagome! Have you forgotten about me already?" Sango closed her eyes and covered her ears at Dr. Miroku's shrill voice. She had no idea that his voice could reach such a high pitch without cracking. Actually, she wished that she never found out.

She took a few minutes to process the information. She looked back and forth from the comatose Kagome to the suddenly turned feminine Miroku before finally putting two and two together.

"What the..." She managed to say before fainting. Kagome felt Miroku's arms reach out to prevent Sango from collapsing onto the ground.

_She just needs to rest a bit._ Kagome heard Miroku's voice say wisely in the back of his mind. Kagome nodded mutely.

_I need to get back to my rounds, Kagome. We'll come back to check up on Sango and your friend when I'm done, okay?_ Miroku asked politely.

"Okay, here you can have your body back." Kagome said out loud, before retreating to the back of Miroku's mind.

_EW... MIROKU! I SO DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT! _Kagome screamed in his mind, after seeing a particular disturbing fantasy tucked in a dark corner of Miroku's mind.

"Sorry sorry Kagome!" Miroku quickly suppressed the fantasy to the darkest corner of a dark corner in his mind.

_I'm just going to float towards the scientific part of your mind over here._ Kagome said grumpily as she tried to fend off the disturbing images in Miroku's mind.

Miroku smiled. This is turning out to be entertaining. He walked out of the room.

Sesshoumaru finished making his observations a while later. He looked around the room, suspicious of the silence that had allowed him to conduct his research so quickly.

He became irritated as he realized that he was the only conscious being in the room. He stalked out the door, leaving for his lab. The woman can do whatever she wants for all he cares. He just wants his life to get back to normal. Working 15 hour work shifts and living on 2 meals a day and 4 hours of sleep. Oh, that and 3 hours of Rin time.

When Miroku and Kagome got back from Miroku's rounds, they found Sango alone in the room, staring at Kagome emptily.

_Where's Sesshoumaru?_ Was Kagome's first thought as they entered the room.

_He probably had to go back to work._ Miroku thought back to Kagome.

_Oh right, I forgot that he works all the time, all day._ Kagome thought grumpily.

_Well he was here in the morning. Maybe something came up and he had to go back to work. _Miroku reassured. Kagome grew silent, considering it.

"Sango, you're awake!" Miroku said as he walked closer to where she was sitting.

"Are you Kagome or Miroku?" She asked warily.

"Miroku." He said, thrown off by her question.

"Let me talk to Kagome please." She implored, staring into his deep violet eyes. Miroku, disgruntled, retreated to the back of his mind as he let Kagome speak.

"Hey Sango, glad to see that you're feeling better." Kagome said.

"Kagome... that should be my line. You have no idea how relieved I am that you're here talking to me!" Sango replied, a smile creeping onto her face.

"I know it's hard to believe. I just woke up like this, apart from my body. You stuck your hand through my stomach you know!" Kagome said in mock horror.

"I'm sorry about that." Sango laughed.

"Were you here every day to visit me Sango?" Kagome asked softly. Sango nodded.

"I used up all the holidays that I accumulated from work. Who knew that it was enough to let me take an indefinite leave?" She said, shaking her head.

"Thank you for looking over me Sango." Kagome said as she hugged her best friend fiercely. Sango hugged her back.

_Don't you dare ruin the moment, Miroku._ Kagome sent a warning thought to Miroku, causing him to retreat into a dark corner in the recesses of his mind.

"So, what's been happening lately Kagome?" Sango asked. Kagome told her all the details of how she met Sesshoumaru, how different yet similar life is as a spirit and how she got closer to finding out where Souta is.

"So this... Kouga character KNOWS Souta?" Sango asked in surprise.

"Yeah... but he left before I could ask him anymore about it." Kagome said, her voice distant.

"Don't worry, you'll see him again." Sango reassured her. Kagome smiled.

"I'm so glad that you're over your depression from InuYasha, Kagome. I knew when I first laid my eyes on that guy that he wasn't the one for you." Sango said angrily, memories of Kagome's most recent encounter with said character resurfacing in her mind.

"I... haven't seen him since. I don't think I'm ready to face him yet. I trusted him, but he threw my love for him back at me... Why, Sango? Why?" Kagome said thoughtfully, becoming lost in her thoughts.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up again Kagome... He truly didn't deserve you." Sango said, trying to comfort her torn friend.

And that was how Sesshoumaru found them upon his return from work.

"Purifier, are you quite done with your business here? There is much for us to discuss." He said, mild irritation showing in his voice. He saw the woman named Sango give him a glare, but he ignored it.

"I think I may have found out what that thing that attacked you this morning was." That got Kagome's attention.

"What? Something ATTACKED you? How can they SEE you, let alone attack?" Sango asked, instantly concerned for her troubled friend.

"I don't know Sango, but he looked REALLY weird. Like... Frankenstein. Except without the odd hair and the nails sticking out of his head... and without the green tint to his skin..." She trailed off as she saw Sesshoumaru's irritated stare.

"Sorry..." She muttered under her breath.

"Prepare yourself." Was all the warning he gave before smacking Miroku on the back really really hard with his right hand, where a peculiar looking glove was worn. Kagome felt what seemed like a truck push against her back before she felt herself collapsing onto the floor on her knees.

Sesshoumaru smirked. The glove was a success. Kagome glared at him fiercely as she stood.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" She yelled in his ear. He winced at the shrillness of her voice.

"I found a solution. I could bore you with the scientific details of this glove..." Sesshoumaru began to drone on in his infamous monotone voice before Kagome punched him in his chest in exasperation. Or at least, tried to. Her fist and part of her arm went through Sesshoumaru's body.

"Oh." Kagome said intelligently, still processing what just happened. Sesshoumaru smirked. Sango was helping a bent Miroku in a coughing fit recover as she heard Sesshoumaru begin to talk to himself again.

"Kagome...?" She hesitantly asked Miroku. Her face flamed red instantly as she got the answer without him saying anything. Miroku felt that he was in heaven when he groped her behind. The slap that Sango gave him immediately after was totally worth it.

"Woman, the purifier wishes for me to relay a message to you, even though I have already told her that I am not a messenger." Sesshoumaru said icily. Sango gulped in fear as she felt the murderous intent he gave off.

"She wishes for you to be careful and to tell this Shippou character that she is all right." Sesshoumaru said, before turning to leave the room.

"Yooooo I told you to also tell her that I approve of Miroku, despite his shady character and the disturbing images in his mind!" Kagome yelled at the deaf Sesshoumaru.

"Hey are you even listening to me?" Kagome shouted as she trailed off after him.

"Come, there is something I must show you." He said as the elevator doors closed in front of them. Kagome stared at him with wide eyes.

"Where did you go?" She asked in a confused voice.

"Where do you think?" He replied, unnerving her again by speaking when his face was mere inches away from hers.

Kagome blushed, unable to think with his proximity. He inwardly smirked, reveling in the effect that he had on her. The elevator doors opened, and Sesshoumaru calmly walked right through her to exit the elevator.

A minute later, his sensitive ears picked up a shrill scream originating from the elevator. How he enjoyed teasing her.

"Remind me why we are dressed in really conspicuous clothing when we're supposed to be staking out and trying to be as inconspicuous as possible." An irritated Kouga asked as he fiddled the collar on his detective coat.

"Because it's fashionable. And I don't want to be here anymore than you do. I can't wait to finish the job and get back to see my sister." Kagura replied, so bored that she was using a nail file to fix her manicure.

"Well aren't you pleasant company." He said as he took out his binoculars and peered through it. After a moment of searching, he found it.

"Target locked." His fangs showed as he grinned.

"Try to not get too excited." Kagura said as she filed her nails. Kouga didn't reply as he started up the car and began to trail their target. The sunlight caught the surface of the vial on the necklace around his neck, and it glinted.

Kikyou knocked on the doors to InuYasha's office. A minute or so later, he heard a soft "Come in" from the inside. She opened the door.

A female office lady from the same floor was standing awkwardly beside InuYasha, her blouse askew and a slight blush tinting her cheeks. InuYasha was seated behind his desk, facing the doors.

"Oh hey Kikyou, what are you doing here?" He motioned the female office lady to leave before taking a sip of his now tepid coffee.

"Don't tell me you did what I think you did." Kikyou said frostily.

"Depends on what you think I did." He said, trying to be humorous.

"Did you and her..." Kikyou trailed off, the slight blush colouring his cheeks giving her the answer that she needed.

"I can't believe you. You really WILL do anyone and anything." She said, clearly upset.

"Look Kikyou, I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. How does dinner tonight sound?" InuYasha got up from his chair and walked towards his girlfriend.

"Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hands." She glared, stopping him in his tracks, before turning and leaving through the door.

"How about tomorrow?" He asked as the door to his office slammed shut. InuYasha shook his head. He went to the phone and paged his substitute secretary.

"Find Kagura and tell her to come back to the office ASAP." InuYasha said angrily before settling back onto his chair. He hadn't gotten as much satisfaction from the female office lady as he had hoped. Perhaps Kagura would be able to remedy his situation.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! The next chapter will be up in a few weeks time.


	11. Chapter 10: Longing

**Warning: A mature scene is hinted at near the end of the chapter. Please read at your own discretion. It is not meant to be offensive in any way. **

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha._

Chapter 10 – Longing

Kikyou found herself passing by numerous stores on the street, but not going inside. If Kagura was here, she'd probably suggest shopping as a means to get over depression. After all, what can be better therapy than splurging on the latest shoes, styles, magazines and undergarments?

She mentally sighed, resigning herself to a shopping spree upon opening the door to a random store on the street. She wandered around aimlessly, looking but not taking in what she was seeing. It wasn't until she heard someone play with a rattle that she realized that she had wandered into a Gap store for babies.

She stared at the tiny pink shoe that she was holding onto, an unfamiliar feeling washing over her. Despite the turmoil she felt at catching Inuyasha in the act, she felt an inexplicable sense of… happiness. Like she was in the dark her whole life and suddenly, someone had just given her a lit candle.

She quickly placed the shoe back onto the shelf, not sitting well with the new blossoming feeling in her. She has yet to tell Inuyasha that he was going to be a dad, following the treatment that Dr. Sui had ordered. Quite frankly, after what she had witnessed today, he'd be lucky if she chose to talk to him at all.

A feeling of warmth washed over her upon the thought of her new baby. If anyone had told her that she'd be the one responsible for breaking up Inuyasha and his fiancée, she would've told them that it was inevitable. But if anyone had told her that she'd be carrying his child… well, that person probably wouldn't be alive to tell anyone else.

She never thought of herself as a motherly figure, and after seeing so many birthing scenes at the hospital, she found herself feeling a shred of fear at going through what those new mothers had to go through. To say that it is a painful experience… Probably an understatement worthy of the Guiness Book of World Records.

But for some reason, Kikyou found herself considering Naraku's offer. Perhaps she was tired of jumping from partner to partner, or maybe she just wanted to lead a normal life where she didn't need to plot against other people to sleep with the guy of the month. Most likely though, it was at Naraku's tempting offer at erasing all of the debt that she owed him.

If there was one thing that Kikyou hated, it was being indebted to him. It was probably more dangerous as living in a tank with a hungry shark. You never knew when he would call asking for favours, or even what those are. But one thing is for sure – it was bound to be something that people with a conscience will never sit well with.

She stared at the cloudy sky, dreading the day when her child sees the world for the first time, while at the same time hoping for the day that she would be free from Naraku's chains forever.

Naraku sneezed in the safety of his alcove. He hadn't thought his abode was particularly dusty… Perhaps he should take Kanna up on her offer of cleaning his place after all. If she remembered, that is.

He sighed in content. The sky was gray, his favourite colour. It seemed like a fairly depressing day, which made Naraku's day that much better. He reveled in sadness and grief. Some would say that he was sadistic, but according to him, that made him realistic. After all, reality is the shattering of hopes. Why not embrace the inevitable sorrow that follows? To him, people who hope are like ants waiting to be crushed. They work hard for hopes of a better future, and then they get stepped on by some random person walking down the street who don't pay attention to what they step on, their hopes never to be realized.

He settled on the armchair in his study, where he overlooked his corporation's projects, as well as 'spied' on his subjects of questionable loyalty. He pulled up the screen that overlooked Kanna, who served as a daily reminder of his failure and of the dreams that he was waiting to crush.

After watching Kanna stare motionlessly at a wall for a few minutes, he pulled up a screen to follow Inuyasha's movements. He had Kagura plant a few cameras in his office, and though Inuyasha provided much entertainment, Naraku had been frustrated to pieces at what little value it was for him to learn of Inuyasha's corporation.

Right now, his office is empty and dark. Naraku, feeling a bit of his good humour slipping away, turned to the information that Kouga had sent. He had ordered Kouga to track down and ultimately, capture, the target in question and so far, all he had to show for it was a couple of videos of the target leaving school, heading home and talking to friends. Since this wasn't very urgent, Naraku thought against pressuring Kouga. After all, there was only so much pressure one could take before a bone or a soul breaks.

He stared out of the window in his study, a view that billionaires would pay millions for. It overlooked the entire city. Though he knew that he was being a hypocrite, he couldn't help but be excited for the successful completion of his impending plan. Then he would show her what she had missed by choosing that guy over him.

Kagome grumbled incoherently as she followed Sesshoumaru into his office. She was feeling the last of her sanity slip away as the people in the building unknowingly walk through her to get to their destinations. It was a wonder that she could still keep a corporal form, what with all the pain that she had experienced when those people passed through her.

"Ouch," She commented absentmindedly when Sesshoumaru's secretary walked through her to follow Sesshoumaru into his office. She was holding onto a particularly sharp looking fountain pen and wielding it like a sword.

"Just finish what I gave you this morning," Sesshoumaru commented offhandedly, stopping at his chair only to place his jacket on it before strolling towards the elevators to his laboratories.

"But I did, Taishou-sama!" His secretary mumbled nervously, not quite knowing if that was the right thing to say.

"Then go home," He spoke frigidly. The secretary gasped in a combination of shock and horror. His boss was giving her the rest of the day off? Well, it was nearly four in the afternoon and she was supposed to get off work at five but…

"But… you NEVER let me leave early. You always give me extra stuff to do and make me work overtime…" The secretary babbled in her fright. Her world has just turned upside down. Her boss just did something that she had only imagined in her dreams. He had let her GET OFF WORK EARLY. Sesshoumaru gave her a cold glare.

"Would you _like_ to stay overtime?" He asked dangerously, eyes flashing in unexplicable emotion. The secretary gulped nervously. Kagome was stifling a laugh from her position behind the secretary.

"Come Kagome," Sesshoumaru finally said as the elevator doors opened. Kagome treaded carefully around the secretary, not wanting to bear the pain of passing through another person. The secretary looked really confused. She gave the secretary a pitying glance whilst walking around her. A glance of course, that she couldn't see.

The secretary felt her knees shake at the close brush with death that she had just encountered. Her boss had just let her off work an hour early… and talked to a non-existent person… Her mind tried to connect the dots.

Perhaps… her boss was finally going insane from the work? Or perhaps…

She gasped again. That MUST be it! He must be high on an experimental drug that his scientists were labouring over! She silently congratulated the one that had ingeniously thought of creating a pill to make her boss less like a slave driver. Then, she mentally wrote a note to herself to pick up said pills and slip them in a certain overbearing demon lord's coffee every morning.

The elevator ride to the labs was silent. Sesshoumaru was enjoying the rare moment of quiet when a certain soul decided to disrupt it with a comment.

"I didn't know that you had a soft spot for hardworking secretaries," Kagome mused out loud. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched.

"I do not. I simply do not wish for her blood and innards to soil my immaculate room," He said plainly, as though they were discussing the weather outside.

"Yes indeed, it is really dreary outside. Kind of humid too actually," Kagome quipped, causing an eyebrow raise from him.

"I was about to ask you if it bothered you at all that you discuss killing people as though it were part of a normal conversation, but then I realized that I'd be stupid to do so. Obviously it doesn't bother you, otherwise you wouldn't have said it in such a nonchalant tone in the first place," Kagome thought aloud. Sesshoumaru just stared at her openly.

"Do you like the sound of your voice?" Sesshoumaru quietly asked.

Kagome didn't look at him as she showed him her thoughtful pose. "It's not so much that I like the sound of it… I just like having conversations with people, even if it is some imaginary person in my head, if only to alleviate the boredom…"

"You speak nonsense," He said emotionlessly.

"Yeah, well you are the cause of the increasing death rates in the country," Kagome said crossily. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.

"Why would that be?" He remarked.

"Cause when girls in your fan club find out that they can't have you, the truth kills them. Well, mentally at least." Kagome shuddered, having encountered one such fanatic herself. She had seemed normal from her appearance, but at any mention of Sesshoumaru… it was as though she had turned into a completely insane person.

"Is that so?" He asked, eyebrow still raised. Kagome tried not to gawk as a look of curiosity adorned his Adonis-like face.

"Yeah, every time you do or say something that seems normal by people standards, you can bet there are fangirls out there screaming and yelling in fandom," She replied, still caught up in the memory of being unfortunately trampled by one such crowd. It had been traumatizing to say the least. She now has learned better than to go to a mall on Sesshoumaru's birthday. The bruises didn't heal for a month.

"And yet… why are you not?" He asked sagely, leaning in closer to garner her full attention. Kagome stared into his eyes.

"Because I'm not a person, stupid," She said, sticking a hand through his face. "I'm a soul, remember?"

Sesshoumaru suddenly had a strong urge to hold onto her wrist and retract her offensive appendage from his face. He fought it viciously, calming his anger until he was able to speak in his normal voice.

"Please retract your arm from this Sesshoumaru's face." He spoke stoically. Kagome grinned as she complied, albeit reluctantly.

Just then, Sesshoumaru was spared the need to thank her. The elevator doors opened to a concrete hallway with many fire-safe doors adorning the sides of it. Kagome followed Sesshoumaru to the doorway that was marked '3', along with a bunch of other symbols beside it.

"So, what's behind the door?" Kagome asked curiously. Sesshoumaru cleared the security parameters in place wordlessly. The doors in front of them slid open.

"Wow." Kagome found herself in awe at the gigantic expanse in front of her. It was like an underground stadium, except with machinery and screens cluttered by the walls. A lone table with a figure was in the centre, trapped behind panes of what Kagome thought, must've been bulletproof glass. All around them, scientists were absorbed in front of their screens. Dangerous looking chemicals littered the lab benches, Bunsen burners were left alit, beakers were filled with unknown compounds.

"Uh Sesshoumaru, are you sure it's safe in there?" She asked cautiously, not quite finding the fact that a scientist nearly tripped and spilled a beaker filled with red liquid at the scientist in front of him endearing.

"It is not as though you have a corporal body," He replied with a slightly miffed tone.

"Oh right," Kagome blushed while replying. He led her to the centre of the room, where the glass panes were set up around a table with a figure on it. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a person of some sort. A person that looked eerily familiar…

"Hey, is that supposed to be me?" She asked, eyes widening upon realization. The figure lying on the metal table had long black hair that framed a pale face. A large white sheet covered the girl's body, so that only her head and arms showed.

He raised his hand in a wave of dismissal as the scientists respectfully retreated back to their work after the initial bowing at their boss's entrance.

"Perhaps," He replied mysteriously, looking at the unconscious girl in front of them from beyond the pane of glass.

"Can I … see?" Kagome asked hesitantly, hand barely an inch from the pane of glass. Sesshoumaru appeared to consider the request for a moment, before nodding briefly. Kagome flashed him a grateful smile before allowing herself to pass through the glass.

"The test subject does not appear to be able to become conscious," One of his scientists mumbled upon approaching Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru turned to stare at him.

"I believe… I may have found the key," He spoke in a solemn voice. The scientist looked at him dubiously before using a finger to adjust his glasses back into place. He turned to stare at their experiment, wanting more than anything else to have this dream of his realized. After all, he had been working on the mechanics of creating artificial life since the first year of university.

Kagome was peering over the edge of the table at the girl in front of her. She looked like a perfect replica… She reached out to the girl cheek, as though to touch her. To her surprise, her hand didn't sink into the girl. In fact, to her surprise, she found herself able to feel the coldness of her skin. She wondered who the girl was, and where she came from. _And why she looks like me…_

A strong feeling of longing swept over her upon being able to touch something corporal. How she missed being able to touch an object or a person substantially… and not be in pain immediately after passing through them. She closed her eyes, willing the anguish filling her away. She wished for nothing more than returning to her life, even though it was filled with sorrowful burdens. She never thought she'd think so, but she would rather live a life of pain than to not live at all…

She didn't notice as a pink light twinkled into existence at the place where her hand touched the slumbering girl's face. Her eyes were closed as she reminisced about how it felt to be able to FEEL something tangible… a memory of what she had when she lived.

Energy began to slip through the pink light, embracing the slumbering girl and Kagome, who was still standing beside her with her eyes closed in concentration.

Sesshoumaru watched as the pink light engulfed Kagome and their experiment, noting that the pink light was the only thing he could see through the glass. The scientist beside him was staring in awe, his mouth slightly agape.

Finally, the pink light subsided. The girl was still unconscious on the table. _But Kagome's missing…_ Sesshoumaru found himself observing.

"Great deity from above… she has a heartbeat." The scientist gasped in surprise and reverence.

"Taishou-sama… she's alive." He said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

Sesshoumaru smirked. While many hailed him as a genius, he had still felt inferior to his father. Though this time, he had to admit, he felt pretty good.

_He was frustrated. Even though the hotel provided them a panoramic view of the ocean and a far off island in the distance, the beautiful imagery wasn't enough to distract him from the fact that he was officially half an hour late. He absentmindedly checked his watch for the upteenth time that day. He wondered if Izayoi would be there… _

_ Kyoko, who was sitting beside him, placed a hand on his wrist. He looked at her in surprise. _

_ "Excuse me, Uncle and Aunty. I was wondering if Touga-san and I would be able to spend some time together…" She asked shyly after pulling her hand away from him. Touga's parents smiled at her. _

_ "By all means, Kyoko darling. We have much to discuss with your father regardless," Touga's father warmly replied. Kyoko looked to her father for permission. He gave her a silent nod. _

_ "Enjoy yourselves, my dears," Touga's mother smiled. Kyoko returned the smile with what she hoped was a grateful one. Touga took the cue to excuse himself from the table, and holding out a hand for Kyoko. Kyoko took it gracefully before standing up. Touga led her away from their parents, trying to hide his anxiety. _

_ Once they were out of the hotel, Kyoko stopped. Touga turned to look at her. _

_ "I would like to meet her," She said softly upon releasing her hand from his. Touga raised an eyebrow. _

_ "Have fun on your date," She smiled as happily as she could. Touga's eyes widened in knowledge. _

_ "Why are you doing this?" He asked hesitantly. Kyoko gave him a knowing look. _

_ "I don't want to follow my mother's footsteps," She replied mysteriously. They stared at each other for a moment, ignoring the people who passed by them into and out of the hotel. _

_ "Have fun, ne?" She smiled tentatively before turning away from him. Touga found himself reaching out to stop her by capturing her wrist in his hand. _

_ "Wait…" Touga said softly. Kyoko didn't turn to look at him. "Where are you going?" _

_ "I don't know… I didn't have a follow-up plan after leaving our parents' overbearing presence, actually," She laughed at her lack of foresight. Touga didn't know what compelled him to say what he said, but at the time, it felt like the right thing to say. _

_ "Come with me…" He said in his rich baritone voice. Kyoko finally turned to stare at him in the eyes. Their eyes locked, and Touga was surprised at how much emotion she conveyed with only her eyes. She looked relieved, thankful… At the moment, she really appeared to glow with happiness. Touga suddenly felt a stab of want. He quickly quenched that feeling when he thought of Izayoi. _

_ "We're late," He quickly said to prevent himself from giving away his emotions. Kyoko smiled, placing her hand in his as he led her to his car. Touga held onto her hand tightly, finding himself unwilling to let go._

Inuyasha sighed as he drove down a particularly empty street. He hadn't heard from Kikyou since she stormed out earlier that day, and he was very concerned. She never ignored him like this, not even when she found out that he was sleeping with some random girl he met at a charity gala.

He tried to get her to see that it was a one night stand more than anything, and that he had been too inebriated to remember much of it anyway. In fact, he didn't even know the identity of the girl that he had slept with, and he still didn't. She didn't take it very well, in fact they had broken up, but at least she still sent him hate texts and the occasional hate phone call in response to him trying to get her back. But ignoring him? A new level of hate, he supposed.

It wasn't his fault the girl so much resembled Kikyou… Down to the dress and mask and height and hair… How was he supposed to know that his girlfriend's doppelganger was invited to the charity gala anyways? He involuntarily found himself remembering that night a little over three years ago…

_"Kikyou, remind me why we have to go to this stupid gala and why we can't stay at my condo as we had originally planned," Inuyasha whined in the limo. Kikyou shot him a dark look from behind her mask. _

_ "Because it's a CHARITY gala, with an emphasis on CHARITY. If you don't attend, people will think you have a black heart, like Ebenezer Scrooge," She snapped. Inuyasha gulped quickly. _

_ "Um… you're beautiful, Kikyou," Inuyasha said hastily, taking Kikyou's hand and placing a chaste kiss on it. Kikyou gave him a brief smile. Inuyasha smiled back. She looked delicious. She was wearing a floor length red dress that was revealing, but not too revealing. It complimented his red tie and tux perfectly. She had a red mask to match. _

_ Inuyasha resisted the urge to sneeze under his mask. He hated wearing them, but for some odd reason the organizer of the gala had a passion for masquerades… How unfortunate for those who hate them. _

_ The first person he looked for upon getting to the hotel was the waiter. There was nothing quite like a glass of white wine to start off a party. Kikyou could only look on with a mild look of disgust before going off to find friends to talk to. _

_ Inuyasha tuned out the opening speeches as he downed his wine. He had just finished his third glass when the lights dimmed, and a spotlight appeared, shining upon an elderly couple. Classical music began to fill the room as the couple began to dance. Everyone in the audience watched as they danced. Then, they bowed to each other after the song finished. The orchestra began another song as other couples went dance. _

_ Inuyasha quickly scanned the room for Kikyou. Maybe Kikyou would be in a better mood if they danced… After all, if there was one thing that Kikyou loved, it was dancing to classical music. She claimed that it was really romantic. Inuyasha, in an attempt to please her, had gotten an acquaintance to teach him how to dance immediately after. He never got a chance to show Kikyou how well he danced… _

_ Then, he spotted her in the crowd. She was talking to a woman that he didn't recognize. He approached them quickly before muttering an 'excuse me', whilst pulling Kikyou away. _

_ "Hey, what are you…" Kikyou said in a slightly high pitched voice. Inuyasha didn't answer as he pulled her to the dance floor and began to dance with her. "Shhh…" Inuyasha said before pulling her into his embrace as they danced. Kikyou's cheeks were slightly pink, but she didn't speak. Perhaps if she did, things would turn out differently. _

_ As it were, after the dance, Inuyasha leaned in to kiss her. She was surprised at first, but responded soon after. Inuyasha pulled away a bit after, not giving her time to recover as he pulled her out of the ballroom. He took the hotel key from one of the patrons who was about to step into the elevator to go to their room and led Kikyou into the elevator, quickly pressing the buttons for the door to close before the patron could recover from shock. _

_ "What're…" Kikyou asked in a slightly high pitched voice again. Inuyasha responded with another fervent kiss. His hazed mind didn't register that the girl in front of him had a slightly higher pitched voice than his girlfriend. _

_ "Picking up where we left off," He spoke huskily before capturing her lips again. He hastily led her out of the elevator, opened the door to their hotel room before helping her out of her dress. He was about to rip off his mask when Kikyou stopped him. _

_ "Keep it on," She said softly. Inuyasha felt faintly confused before his mind focused on the desire he felt for the girl in front of him. They made quick work of their clothing and within a few minutes, they were reunited like past lovers. _

_ The next morning, Inuyasha woke to find himself alone in a large four-poster bed, naked under the covers in an unfamiliar hotel room. He groaned as he quickly showered, hoping to assuage the massive headache that he had thanks to a hangover. He quickly texted Kikyou from his phone before leaving the hotel room. Before leaving however, he found Kikyou's mask on the floor next to the door. He picked it up with every intention of returning it to its owner. _

_ "Where did you go after the hot sex we had last night?" Kikyou fumed angrily as she stalked into the coffee shop. Inuyasha smiled as he leaned in to give her a kiss. _

_ "Go to hell," She said as she reached for his steaming latte and splashed it in his face. "We're over, Inuyasha. I don't know who you had hot sex with last night, but quite frankly, I don't want to know. All I know was that you left me last night, and I had to take a dirty cab home." _

_Inuyasha was sputtering on the steaming latte that was currently streaming down his face and onto his tuxedo. Kikyou gave him a cold look before walking away from him. _

_ "And don't you dare call me again," She yelled over her shoulder. Everyone in the coffee shop watched her exit and the helpless Inuyasha sputtering at the latte still running down his face._

A/N: Sorry for the belated chapter! It's slightly longer than usual, so hopefully that makes up for it… somewhat? :)


	12. Chapter　１１：　Ｃｏｍｐｌｅｘｉｔｙ

Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's Inuaysha.

**Last time on FFY:**

We heard the thoughts of Kikyou and Naraku, whose reason for being evil is partially revealed. Kagome meets Sesshoumaru's overachieving but clumsy secretary, banters with Sesshoumaru before being engulfed in a bright pink light. As for Inuyasha… turns out he's had a history of breaking hearts… Proof, you may ask? A certain latte incident, of course!

Chapter 11 - Complexity

_A gentle breeze caressed the two lone figures at the top of the hill, causing the grass, flowers, leaves and dandelions to sway modestly. They sat hand in hand watching the sun slowly set, different hues illuminating in the sky. _

_ They stayed in silence, captured in the moment. Neither wanted to break the peaceful silence lingering between them, each content just being in each other's presence. _

_ The silence was eventually broken by not words, but the simple action of tucking a stray strand of hair behind an ear. She blushed as he did so, as he was a man of few words and possibly even fewer emotions. _

_ "Thanks." _

_ He didn't reply as he stared at her, as if to commit her visage to memory, as he often did. He found himself unable to concentrate on anything or anyone besides her whenever she was in his vicinity. To him, she would always be the light that illuminated the darkness of the world around him. _

_ "Earth to Shou-kun," She waved her hand in front of his unwavering gaze. He blinked, his brilliant golden orbs hidden for a fraction of a second. _

_ "Yes?" He finally spoke, his rich baritone causing a shiver to run down her back. _

_ "Just wanted to know what you were thinking," She admitted sheepishly. She braced herself for the inevitable coldness of his response, and was pleasantly surprised by another affectionate gesture. _

_ "Eh?" He had leaned in closer to her, and nudged her cheek affectionately with a finger. _

_ "Okay, now I know there's something wrong. Tell me, Shou-kun." She pulled away from him, her brilliant sapphire eyes conveying the concern that she could not express through words. _

_ "... Is there anything I can say or do that will make you change your mind?" He finally replied after a moment of hesitation, as though he had chosen not to say what he originally meant to say. _

_ "You know that I'm not doing it for myself," She smiled warmly as she leaned her head against his shoulder. She sighed in content as she gazed at the sunset. Red faded to orange, which gave way to yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet... then finally to black. _

_ "I know... I just wish there was another way...," She heard his stoic voice say. She lifted her gaze to his face, seeing him at a new angle. _

_ "Are you missing me already? Come on Shou-kun, I'll be back by your side before you know it," She teased playfully. His face held a ghost of a smile when he leaned in and claimed her lips with his own. _

_ "Of course..." He whispered, a hint of anguish laced in his voice. _

_ He hugged her fiercely, and filled his senses with only her. The couple became oblivious to the fading rays of sunlight as the day finally gave way to the darkness of the night._

_－－－－～～～－－－－_

She opened her eyes gingerly. She willed herself to use her hand as a shield to keep the light from her eyes. She duly noted that it took some effort for her arm to move. Her head began to throb as she tried to sit up from the cold metal table that she happened to be lying upon. The white sheet fell about her as she assumed a sitting position on the cold table.

She squeaked in surprise upon realizing that she was, in fact, no longer in a spirit form, but has taken shelter in a poor unsuspecting victim. Oh, did she mention that said victim happened to be naked, with the sheet being the only thing separating her nudity from the rest of the world? She didn't think so. She felt her cheeks heat up as she quickly pulled it over her body once again.

"... Kagome?" A familiar voice asked. She looked around to find the source of the noise. It was only then when she saw a familiar face in front of the ceiling to floor pane of glass separating her from the outside world. An inexplicable feeling of warmth filled her as her eyes laid upon his.

"Can you walk?" He asked stoically, observing her intently. She moved to get off the table, noting that the table that she once laid upon was actually a Life Capsule, a white bed that was the newest technology from the cryogenic department of Taishou Enterprises. It is used to sustain the condition of the corpse for use in the indeterminate future, and often used with the Memory Capsule. She remembered when the company first showed it to the world – it revolutionalized many aspects of society, the main reason being that with the proper combination of body and memory, a more accurate picture of the past can be written.

She paused in confusion. Hold on a second. She didn't recall ever having seen one in her life, except probably in front of the TV. This made her even more confused, because her brother was the one who was the technological wiz. She was just a simple secretary who gets confused if anyone ever tried to explain advanced algebra, or limits and functions, to her. She can't possibly know what it does. She shook her head slightly, filing the confusing matter a dark recess of her mind for later contemplation, before reaching out to the screen that was beside the Capsule to balance herself as she got off.

"Shoot," She mumbled under her breath upon realizing that she had just flashed the observing Sesshoumaru for the second time in a few minutes. He stood still as a statue across the pane of glass. She wrapped the sheet around her securely, a feeling of numbness still ever present in her limbs.

Kagome hesitantly looked at Sesshoumaru, who looked still as a statue save for his intense gaze, which was the only indicator that he was alive, and not a marble figure. The intense wave of warmth washed over her once again. Was she... blushing? Sure, he was attractive, but she can't possibly have developed feelings for him... he has zero personality, for one. Talking to him is like... talking to your pet goldfish. Except he probably has better memory...

So preoccupied was she in her garbled thoughts that she hadn't heard Sesshoumaru speak. His face now wore a disapproving gaze. She inwardly wondered if it's cause she was taking her sweet time getting off the table.

"Come," He repeated, his voice blared through the hidden speakers in the room. She jumped at the state of the art surround sound. Once she recovered, she stepped forward hesitantly until her hand was on the glass that separated them. He placed his hand on the glass right in front of hers, so that their palms were on top of each other's, separated only by the glass.

She swallowed back a gasp of surprise when the glass between them melted like water, and his hand was on hers.

"What's... going on?" She asked, bewildered as she took in the scrutinizing gazes of aghast scientists who stared at her with reverence and surprise.

"Uh... Taisho-sama... We want to run some more tests on her..." A nervous scientist mumbled, fidgeting with his white rimmed glasses as he spoke.

Sesshoumaru gently grasped her wrist and pulled her out of the 'room' with the Life capsule without speaking.

"We are leaving," He stated simply as he began to take great strides out of the laboratory, leaving the scientists around them gapping like fish out of water. Kagome began to follow when a sudden numbness of her leg overtook her senses and she found herself tripping on her feet. She clutched the sheet around her in a death grip as she braced herself for the unpleasant fall on the hard tile of the laboratory.

"Ow...?" She said in surprise a second later when she somehow found herself held bridal style by Sesshoumaru himself, and not bruising from the impact on the floor. A slight frown adorned his face, his silent fury causing a chill to run down her spine.

"Sorry..." She apologized, much to her surprise. "Hey, wait a minute... Why am I apologizing? And what is going on, Sesshoumaru? Mmpf, let go of me! The owner of this body is going to be really mad when she wakes up... " She observed, the initial shock of her situation already beginning to wear away.

He didn't respond as he carried her out of the lab and into the elevators. He was still stoically silent upon reaching his office. By the time they reached his car in the parking lot, Kagome was ready to burst with questions.

"... And why was the office empty? What time is it? What day is it? WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?" Kagome finally burst as Sesshoumaru securely placed a seatbelt over her.

"Check for yourself," Was all he said as he manoeuvred the car out of the parking lot, in the direction of his home. Kagome glared at the time displayed in the car, wishing that he'd stop avoiding her questions. Curiosity burned in every fibre of her being, causing each passing second to be torture as she was left mercilessly in the dark.

"Okay, so the office was empty because it's approximately 2 in the morning. Apparently they don't have the same work ethic as those scientists in that lab of yours," She muttered, unconsciously pulling the sheet closer around her.

She knew he wouldn't respond. She pretended not to be affected by his indifference.

~~~A few minutes later... ~~~

"Tell me now or I swear I'll open the door and jump out," She threatened, glaring at him as he flew down the freeway at possibly triple the speed limit. She tried not to think about the blur that was the scenery, and about the possible death that awaited her if she tried to jump out of the car at this speed. She mentally apologized to the poor being who lent out their body like a room for board. Then, she concentrated on threatening the most infuriating specimen on earth at the moment.

~~~A minute later~~~

"I'm really doing it," She threatened. As if to emphasize her point, she unbuckled her seat belt.

~~~Another minute later~~~

"Last chance," She said, swallowing her fear. With still no reply, she unlocked the door and opened it. _Sorry again whoever owns this body, you're probably going to wake up to a concussion or a coma, with lots of broken bones, blood and bruises..._

_－－－－～～～－－－－_

_Drip. _

_ Drip._

She stared blankly at the growing puddle in the corner of her windowless room. When had the ceiling sprung a leak? She couldn't remember.

She didn't look away from the growing puddle even when she heard the door to her sterile room click open.

"How's my favourite girl today?" His voice drawled.

The droplet of water caused a ripple in the puddle as it fell in.

"I told her that she can see you today, but she said that she's too busy... with Inuyasha that she can't visit you." His masculine voice said with a trace of pity.

"Inu...yasha..." Something akin to recognition stirred in her lifeless and colourless eyes. She lifted her gaze to the mirror that hung on the wall in front of her. She stared at her reflection, noting that her hair was still white, that the flowers in her hair were still white, and that she still felt nothing upon seeing his malicious red eyes staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"I'll come by again tomorrow," He whispered, leaning in to place a kiss on the top of her head. She didn't respond in any way to the gesture. She continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror. For the first time though, she saw a droplet of red fall from her eye. It left a trail of red on her pale face.

_Inuyasha..._

_－－－－～～～－－－－_

"This Sesshoumaru does not respond well to threats," His voice drifted to her ears from the opposite side of the door. He held out a hand in a gentlemanly gesture. She took it without thinking, the initial shock of not dying a painful death still not ebbing away.

When she opened the door, she fully expected to jump out and die. Instead, what awaited her were the front doors of Sesshoumaru's house and an awaiting Sesshoumaru.

"You would do well to commit it to memory," He whispered into her ear. She started at his proximity. She stood in the middle of the threshold, and looked at him in surprise. What she saw caused her to blink and rub her eyes in surprise, one hand still grasping her sheet like a lifeline.

He is amused, she noted, observing his normally dark amber eyes turning the colour of gold. When he's angry, his eyes look more... orange... Hold on a minute. Why did this revelation make the inexplicable warmth that she feels upon seeing him return?

He touched her wrist just then, causing a feeling of electricity to shoot through her and return her to reality.

"Yes?" She replied, a disturbing sense of déjà-vu washed over her just then. She didn't let her discomfort show as she waited for him to speak.

"Just wanted to know what you were thinking," He said stoically, unable to comprehend what had compelled him to say that just now. Somehow, it just sounded... right.

She stared at him with widened eyes. In her mind's eye, a familiar face appeared. Except she has never seen him as vulnerable as this. As quickly as the image appeared, it dissipated like mist.

He stared at her familiar, yet unfamiliar, face. Was she always this readable?

He abruptly turned away from her, so that she couldn't see his confusion.

"Follow," He said, his voice lower than normal. She quickly followed, filing the earlier exchange into her memory for later analysis. She closed the door after her and followed him to the front of a closed door.

"I will wait for you downstairs," He murmured, before disappearing. Kagome stared at the spot that he occupied a second ago. It just occurred to her that he had dropped his favourite habit of addressing himself in the third person. She wondered if she had somehow woken up in a parallel universe, where Sesshoumaru wasn't an arrogant and rich genius, and seemed more... human.

She took a deep breath before opening the door and entering the room.

－－－－～～～－－－－

The first thing he did was open a bottle of vodka. Then, he sat on his pristine black sofa and downed half of the bottle in one gulp. He was beginning to feel the beginning of a headache, following the confusion that he had felt a few moments prior. He decided against taking aspirin, as he wanted nothing more than to get some rest. He closed his eyes, willing his face to once again bear the mask of indifference that it always wears. In his fatigue, he had let control of his emotions slip. He made a mental note to not make the same mistake in the future.

A nervous cough interrupted his train of thought as he looked up in the direction of the cough. He stared at her for a long time.

She was wearing one of his button up shirts that he always wears to work. He couldn't remember where he got this particular shirt from, which was a colour completely different from what he normally wore, which was either black, blue or white. In short, it was pink. And it hung about her like a skirt.

Kagome fidgeted with her hands nervously. He nodded to the unoccupied end of the sofa, and placed an arm on the top of it. She got the hint and sat demurely.

"So, are you going to answer my questions now, Sesshoumaru?"

If he was surprised at her spontaneous question, he didn't let it show on his facade.

"I have one for you first." She nodded.

"Tell me, have you heard any voices inside your head besides your own?"

A look from her face already told him all he needed to know.

－－－－～～～－－－－

Naraku was thinking.

Two figures stood in front of his desk, watching him ponder.

Time ticked by, second by second.

The figure on the left was the first to crack.

"Look Naraku, you're really attractive and all with your silence and whatnot, but can you PLEASE say something? I really have to go back to work," A slightly high pitched masculine voice spoke.

"Good plans take time," The figure on the right defended quickly, his voice muffled.

"Almost." Naraku said simply, before returning to his thoughts. Ah yes… once Kagura returned with the girl, he can focus on taking care of the… anomaly… Or perhaps he can use the two in front of him to do so…

_**Roses are red and violets are blue, honey is sweet but not as sweet as you...**_

All three figures in the darkened office room jumped at the spontaneous ring tone.

Naraku swore as the last detail of the plan that he had spent the better part of the past hour plotting slip through his fingers.

"What the hell... Turn that infernal thing OFF!" He growled. Much to his chagrin, the figure on the left simply chose to take the call.

"What's up hooker?" He said into the phone nonchalantly. "I'm busy, go find someone else." Then, he hung up.

"Oh, are you finally done?" He asked upon feeling Naraku's heated glare upon his person.

"He looks like he wants to kill you," The muffled voice said with a hint of amusement.

**WHY CAN'T YOU SEEEEEE YOU BELONG WITH MEEEEEEEE... **

"What's up whore?" He picked up again. "Oh I'll come by and pick it up after this. Thanks, beautiful." Then, he hung up.

"So are we done here?"

The sounds of a person being strangled echoed through the office, along with a muffled string of laughter.

－－－－～～～－－－－

_They talked on the way to Izayoi's doorstep, and by the time they arrived, they found themselves becoming fast friends. To be quite precise, she was waiting outside the gates of her house. She happily glomped Touga as soon as he appeared. _

_ "You're late!" She playfully berated, arms still wrapped around him. _

_ "Sorry, koi," He replied with a fierce hug of his own. They pulled out of their embrace a minute later. Izayoi didn't realize that they were being watched when she finally saw Kyoko for the first time. She fidgeted at the edge of her skirt, feeling underdressed in her presence. _

_ "Koi, allow me to introduce you to Kyoko. She is the reason I am standing in front of you right now," He said with a warm smile, directed at Kyoko, who was blushing and smiling shyly. _

_ "Nice to meet you, Touga no Koi..." She responded playfully. Izayoi blushed, feeling any trace of jealousy that Touga's words aroused dissipate. _

_ "Ano... Izayoi desu," She said meekly. Kyoko smiled brightly. _

_ "It is an honour to finally meet you, Touga's spoken so much about you," She winked in Touga's direction. _

_ "Don't worry, I didn't tell her about the embarrassing stuff that you did, only the good stuff." He grinned, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. _

_ "Wow Izayoi, you have a really pretty hairband!" Kyoko noted, pointing to the white ribbon that held her hair in a tall ponytail. _

_ "Thanks," She blushed. She touched it unconsciously. _

_ "Hm... that looks suspiciously like the one on the bear that I gave you..." Touga teased. Izayoi turned to bury her face in his chest. _

_ "So where are we going?" She mumbled, her voice barely audible. _

_ "How about the amusement park?" Kyoko suggested. Touga and Izayoi agreed, and soon they found themselves at their destination. _

_ "I want to go on that," Kyoko pointed at the highest roller coaster in the park upon entering the amusement park. Izayoi gulped in fear. Touga grasped her hand tightly. _

_ "Izayoi doesn't care much for roller coasters, right?" Touga asked gently. Izayoi paused before answering. _

_ "I think... we should try it..." She said nervously. Touga looked at her in concern. _

_ "Are you sure?" Izayoi nodded in reply. _

_ "Come on, the seconds are ticking," Kyoko said playfully as she linked her arm around Touga's free arm, and proceeded to drag them to the entrance of the roller coaster, which was a gigantic , dark cavern. Izayoi grasped Touga's arm tightly, feeling her heart race. _

_ "We can still turn back," Touga warned upon seeing her pale visage. She shook her head firmly. _

_ "Come on slowpokes," Kyoko's voice in front of them floated to their ears. They hurried to the queue where Kyoko was. _

_ "You sure you'll be all right?" Touga asked in concern. _

_ "I'm fine," Izayoi smiled nervously. She was not afraid of the dark... or of heights... at all. Nope, not her. She loved being in the darkness and high up in the sky... and being separated from certain death by a metal bar... Perhaps she wasn't as fine as she originally thought. _

_**I'm on a boat... peacefully floating at one hundred and eighty degrees to the water. I'm not going to be on a cart with a metal bar that is plunging towards the ground at a nearly ninety degree angel… I'm not going to be on said cart that will go at ungodly speeds... **_

_ "Uh... Izayoi, you look a little bit green..." Touga protested upon seeing his girlfriend's face change colour. _

_ "I think I'm going to be sick," She said before gagging. _

_ "Wait, we're not even on the roller coaster yet!" Kyoko gasped. _

_ "... Izayoi? What are you doing in a dark cavern waiting in line for the tallest roller coaster of the amusement park?" An incredulous voice asked. Izayoi nearly collapsed with relief. _

_ "Onigumo! What are you doing here?" She asked. _

_ "That's what I'd like to know," Touga's eyes narrowed as he pulled Izayoi closer to him in a possessive gesture. _

_ "Uh... I work here," He gestured to his tag, his uniform... and the empty roller coaster train waiting in front of them. _

_ "Of course you do," Touga growled. Kyoko placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. That didn't go unnoticed by Onigumo. _

_ "I don't think Izayoi should go on the ride. Why don't you go with that fox that you have dangling on your other arm? I'll take care of Izayoi for you," Onigumo hissed, grabbing Izayoi's wrist. _

_ "Oh no you don't..." Touga growled louder. Behind them, people were beginning to mutter about what's taking so long. _

_ "I think I'll sit this out after all..." Izayoi said softly, her face still green. She missed Onigumo and Kyoko's identical grins of triumph as she looked at the ground and tried to force down the lunch that she had a few hours ago. _

_ "I'll stay with you," Touga quickly offered. _

_ "No, you should stay with Kyoko-san." Izayoi quickly interceded. Touga looked like he was about to protest when Onigumo spoke. _

_ "People are waiting," He said in a threatening tone. Touga gave Izayoi a quick glance, Onigumo a glare before settling in a cart with Kyoko. His eyes stayed on Izayoi until the train left the platform. _

_ "Thanks for saving me, Onigumo-kun," Izayoi sighed in relief, feeling quite a bit better already. _

_ "Anytime," He said softly while leaning closer to her. She coughed suddenly. _

_ "Um… I'm thirsty. Do you know where I can get some water?" She fidgeted, hoping to get rid of any thoughts of romance from Onigumo's head. _

_ "Kiss me and I'll tell you," He said in a serious tone. Izayoi looked at him in surprise. _

_ "What?" She asked sharply. _

_ "Just kidding. I know you'd never do it," He said in a slightly disappointed tone. _

_ "Onigumo-kun, you know that I don't like..." Onigumo silenced her by holding out an unopened clear plastic bottle of water. _

_ "Thanks…," She whispered upon taking a step away from him, and leaned against the railing. She finished it in a few swallows. _

_ Onigumo stared at her until the train returned to the station. _

_ "Touga!" She smiled happily. She began to step over an empty cart of the train to the other side of the platform when she saw them. He was helping Kyoko out of the cart. Kyoko took his hand with a shaky one. _

_ "That was... scary..." She mumbled, moving to get off the train. She tripped at the tall step from the cart to the platform, and fell forward. Touga quickly bent to catch her. Their lips grazed each other's for a brief second. Onigumo looked on with amusement. Izayoi felt jealousy begin to stir in the depths of her heart. But for Touga and Kyoko...both felt an undeniable spark, within that brief second._

_－－－－～～～－－－－_

Kikyou warily opened the door to the apartment. It was dark. The lights turned on as she walked through the parlour and towards the room that she shared with Inuyasha. It, too, was dark. The lights in the parlour turned off when she closed the door to the room. She grabbed some clothes from the dresser and went towards the bathroom. She turned on the water to the bathtub and waited for it to fill patiently. Upon filling up the bathtub with hot water, she scattered a few rose petals across the surface.

She lit a candle and placed it on a scented candle holder. She inhaled slowly, already feeling the stress that she had accumulated throughout her aimless walk being relieved.

Silently, she lifted herself into the bathtub and relaxed completely.

－－－－～～～－－－－

Elsewhere…

Inuyasha was standing on a beach barefoot, feeling the wind tossle his hair. He slowly inhaled the scent of the ocean. In the morning, the ocean would be the colour of her eyes…

He could only imagine what she was going through right now. He normally wouldn't be at the beach at this time of night, reflecting. However, Kagura had blown him off so he was forced to find something else to do. He couldn't face Kikyo yet… after all, what could he say? _Hey Kikyo, hope you don't mind that I find pleasure in other women besides you during business hours… _

Yeah, that would go over real well.

Nor could he go with the real reason why he couldn't keep himself from pitching a tent when he's supposed to be working. It was all because of that damned coffee… Though it kept him up enough to work, it had the unfortunate side effect of… well, keeping him up.

He could imagine her laughter at his predicament.

At least Kagome had understood… and helped him by finishing his paperwork so that he wouldn't be forced to deal with those stupid contracts… He actually got a decent night's sleep when they weren't busy doing other stuff during the night.

Ever since he made the biggest mistake of his life, he's been regretting it. He never knew how much he depended on Kagome, as a secretary, a lover… and a friend.

Why had he left her at the altar? She is the perfect woman for him, and yet… He couldn't forget HER. His first love. The one who mysteriously returned from France and caught his attention once again, after vowing to never speak to him again after the charity ball debacle.

She was good to her word, as he never heard a word from her since that time. He had been dating Kagome for only a few months when she returned. The two women were so similar… perhaps that was why he was drawn to both of them. Not only in their physical appearance, but the animated way that they talk… the way they looked at him… with devotion and love.

He only ever knew his half brother's cold gazes and indifference, because his mother passed away when he was just a baby. His father became withdrawn after his mother's death and occupied himself with work all the time, sparing no time for his children.

His childhood wasn't very happy, that was for sure. He had to suppress the urge to punch his classmates whenever they shared happy familial memories with the rest of the class for 'Show and tell' in elementary school. To him, it seemed more like 'Show and gloat'. He was tired of always being alone. In the house, his half brother avoided him like the plague. Perhaps that was why he always caused mischief, to gain his father or his brother's attention. In the end, it only strained his relationship with them further… and caused his brother to hate and ignore him further…

Nothing changed when his father passed away, and left Inuyasha his company. Inuyasha, the younger son, had inherited his company, a communications technology enterprise, and not his much more capable older son. To Sesshoumaru, Touga had left his mother's company, a biotechnology enterprise. If anything, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's relationship became more strained. He knew Sesshoumaru despised him because of his inheritance. What he knew Sesshoumaru didn't know… was that he still idolized Sesshoumaru. He was handsome and intelligent. He was strong and fearless. Sesshoumaru was everything that Inuyasha strived to be… and he still is.

－－－－～～～－－－－

A/N: The next chapter is going to be posted up soon to make up for the lack of updates this summer – Please look forward to it!

－－－－～～～－－－－

**Coming up:**

"… Who was she?" Kagome asked softly, keeping her gaze steady on the empty bottle of vodka on the coffee table.

"This Sesshoumaru believes that her name was… Midoriko." He heard himself say.


	13. Chapter 12: Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.

**Last time on FFY:**

A mysterious flashback led into the description of Kagome's predicament. She finds herself inhabiting the body of an unfortunate candidate and learns that she isn't as technologically stupid as she thought. After much time asking Sesshoumaru questions, she finds herself about to get some answers from him during a visit to his house. As for Naraku, we see two different sides of him – one of a caring and doting… father? Lover? Friend? Another… of a manipulating boss, of course. Inuyasha, on the other hand, does some soul searching on the beach overlooking the ocean. And what of Izayoi? She meets Kyoko for the first time… and doesn't know whether to like her or hate her guts.

Chapter 12 – Surprise

"Huh." Kagome said blandly, upon realization. "Does this mean that she's dead?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, taking another shot from the vodka bottle that he was holding.

"Well, what do you know. The body was missing a soul, and I was missing a body… Wait a minute… are you telling me that I'm in a dead person's body?" Her voice escalated in volume as she spoke.

Sesshoumaru nodded again, finishing the bottle of vodka and placing it firmly on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

"On a completely random note, I didn't know you drink Sesshoumaru. Anyways, back to my outburst. DEAD! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD BUT SOMEHOW I'M ANIMATING A DEAD BODY!" Kagome leaped off the sofa.

"Please tell me this isn't fate's way of apologizing to me after having been left at the altar and hit by a car all in the same day… I can't accept this apology! It's just too WEIRD. I'd rather be somewhere rotting in a coffin than be in this dead woman's body… who IS she anyways? She must've been against all this!"

Sesshoumaru kept silent throughout her outburst. He just stared at her with his intelligent amber eyes.

"… Okay, maybe rotting in a coffin isn't my ideal place to be, and being cremated isn't that good either…" Kagome said as an afterthought.

"Perhaps you can view this as a second chance at life," Sesshoumaru said with a tone of seriousness. That sentence stopped Kagome cold.

"A... second chance at life?" She scoffed. "What did I ever do to deserve this? I'm no martyr, I'm not particularly beautiful, I don't have a particularly good personality. I have no family and very few friends. Which reminds me, why did you do what you did?" Kagome asked sternly.

"This Sesshoumaru believes that you can be of more service to him with a physical body than without," He stated brusquely. Kagome felt her jaw drop in surprise.

"You want me to… help you? Whatever the hell with?" She asked rudely.

"You are an anomaly, Kagome Higurashi. This Sesshoumaru needs to find out how you became what you became," He had a steely grip on her chin. She glared at him, watching as his amber eyes glared with the same intensity at hers.

"... Understood?" He growled, ignoring the aching feeling in his heart. Something about her large cerulean eyes struck a chord within him. They were tearing up, probably from the bruise that he was leaving behind on her chin. Kagome gave him a small nod. He let go in glum satisfaction.

"… Who was she?" Kagome asked softly, keeping her gaze steady on the empty bottle of vodka on the coffee table.

"This Sesshoumaru believes that her name was… Midoriko." He heard himself say. Then, darkness enveloped him.

oooo~~~oooo

_Rain was falling in sheets… thunder was clapping… lightning was flashing. There was a thunderstorm that day. _

_ He first saw her in front of his company's building. She was kneeling on the concrete pavement in the pelting rain. She was soaked from head to toe, and shivering uncontrollably. She was mumbling to herself incoherently, just outside the glass automatic doors to his building. _

_ "Who is she?" Sesshoumaru asked the receptionist to the building. _

_ "Taishou-sama, she came a few hours ago and asked for an audience with you. She wouldn't explain why she was here. She didn't have an appointment with you, and you were in an important business meeting with Inuyasha's company, so I told her that you were busy and that it was impossible for her to speak to you in person today. She became really emotional and said that she had to see you today. I told her that she could wait on the chairs in the lobby if she wanted, but then she ran for the elevators… I called security and they took her outside. She's been waiting outside and kneeling ever since…" _

_ "Who is she?" Sesshoumaru repeated venomously. _

_ "I… didn't catch her name, Taishou-sama." The receptionist whispered in fear. _

_ "This Sesshoumaru will deal with you later," Was all he said before he walked out into the rain. He stood in front of the kneeling woman who was delirious from the rain for a few minutes. _

_ "… please help us… I don't know what to do… please help us… I don't know what to do…" She kept mumbling, and looking at a fixed point on the ground. _

_ "Who are you? Why do you seek an audience with this Sesshoumaru?" His loud voice appeared to go unnoticed through the pelting rain and claps of thunder. He crouched down and pulled her long black tresses back, making her look at him. _

_ "Who. Are. You." Sesshoumaru reiterated with barely concealed anger. He was tired from the hours-long negotiations with his half-brother's company and all he wanted was to get home and relax in his Jacuzzi. What he DIDN'T want to do was be in the rain waiting to hear about a stranger's pitiful sorrows. _

_ "I…" Was all the woman managed to say before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted. Sesshoumaru mentally sighed. He carried her to his car and drove her to his home to recuperate. He wasn't normally this nice to strangers, but he didn't want tomorrow's headline news to be 'Pitiful woman faints in front of Taishou Enterprise – The Ice King sends another to the gallows'. _

_ God knows how much grief the paparazzi gave him after a malfunctioning Life Capsule caused the guy to die instead of be sustained cryogenically. Glitches happen, but he couldn't go home for a few months because of the swarms of reporters. _

_ He sighed inwardly as he concentrated on driving to his home. Upon arriving, he carried the drenched woman to a guest bathroom. He decided against throwing her into the bathtub, because she'd probably sue him for raping her or something from the bruises that would result. _

_ Once she was fully submerged in steaming water, he placed some bubble bath into the water, watching the bubbles appear on the surface. Then, he peeled her clothing off and threw them into a pile on the tile floor by the window. Her head fell to the side of the bathtub, revealing her slender and flawless neck. Sesshoumaru paused as he considered the woman in front of him. _

_ She had long black hair, and a healthy body, from what he could gather from brushes against her as he took her clothes off. He leaned in closer to examine her face when she began to stir. _

_ Groggy green eyes met surprised golden ones. _

_ Then, a scream echoed throughout his house._

_oooo~~~oooo_

He rang the doorbell again, this time impatiently. He's been in front of her doorstep for the past half an hour, hoping to see her. He didn't drive all the way from the other side of Japan for nothing, you know.

"Kagome? I know I'm probably not a person that you want to see right now… But I really want to talk to you. Kagome? Kagome?" Inuyasha yelled, not caring that he might be disturbing the neighbours.

"What the hell are you doing here, Inuyasha?" A disgusted voice spat from behind him. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. He turned around and faced him.

"Shippou! I'm really glad you're here! Can you please convince Kagome to talk to me? I really need to talk to her…" Inuyasha trailed off as he saw the murderous look in Shippou's eyes.

"Get out of here before I start swearing at you and using you as a punch bag," Shippou snarled, his emerald eyes flashing in anger.

"Look, I know what I did is unforgiveable… but I need to know how she's doing…" Inuyasha begged pitifully.

"How she's doing? Funny you should ask. She's been lying on a hospital bed in a coma since the day of your wedding… which was rubbish by the way. You don't deserve to see her, let alone talk to her, after what you've done to her. As for your apology? Go shove it up your behind because Kagome sure as hell won't accept it." Shippou growled and hit him square in the jaw. He heard a satisfying crack before turning to leave.

"Ka…gome…" Inuyasha gasped through his broken jaw, tears springing to his eyes. Shippou didn't know if the tears were from the pain of his broken jaw or from the pain of realizing Kagome's condition… but he sure hoped that it was both.

Shippou closed the door behind him as he stepped back inside his place, which was beside Kagome's. Inuyasha lay still on his back on the floor, eyes closed in regret and guilt.

oooo~~~oooo

"Sesshoumaru? Are you okay?" A faint voice traveled to his ears. He slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was her concerned blue ones staring at him. His head was hurting like someone was trying to drill through it.

"Get off me, woman." He growled, closing his eyes and bringing an arm across his forehead.

"Hold on, let me get that," Kagome plucked the cold white towel from his forehead before his arm brushed it off. "Are you feeling better? It seemed like you fainted on me for a second…"

"This Sesshoumaru does not faint," He growled more menacingly. He opened his eyes to glare at the woman in front of him, and when he did so, felt his insides twist in recognition.

_The woman in the rain… _

"Well you just did in front of my eyes, so it's no use denying," Kagome growled right back at him. He pushed her off her straddling position on top of him and watched her land on the wooden floor on her behind with a thump.

"I was just trying to help!" She said angrily. "I know better than to help you next time," She spat venomously. She gingerly got up from her fallen position, too angry to take his apology in the form of an extended hand to help her up. With a huff, she threw the towel on the coffee table beside a waiting cup of water and bottle of aspirin.

She felt his hand around her arm pulling her back towards him just then. She struggled against his grip, whimpering as blood began to pool where his fingernails dug into her skin. Tears began to pool in her eyes as the pain on her arm began to become unbearable.

She could see the surprise in his eyes as he turned her around and loosened his grip on her arm, her blood now matted on his hand and on the wooden floor beside the sofa.

"If his highness is done with abusing me for today, this lowly servant will take her leave," She said bitterly through her tears. Just as she was about to leave, she felt a warm and tickling sensation on her injured arm. She turned in surprise and saw Sesshoumaru bending over her arm and licking the blood.

The warmth soon spread throughout her entire body and made her feel like a gloop of jello. She tried to pull her arm away, but Sesshoumaru wouldn't let go.

He hadn't meant to draw blood. He hadn't meant to cause her distress. He hadn't meant to take a whiff of her blood. He hadn't meant to ease her distress by licking her injuries, in a very canine like fashion.

He must be delirious, because he would never meaningfully pull her towards him on the sofa and lick a trail up her arm. Most of all, he would NEVER (should he be in his right mind), kiss her. And yet… he did.

Kagome never felt more content in her life as she felt Sesshoumaru press his lips upon hers. She was beyond logical thinking the instant their lips met. She forgot about her injured arm as their kiss intensified. Their bodies appeared to be moving in a familiar rhythm as they kissed. Sesshoumaru rolled over and pressed Kagome against the sofa as they kissed, one hand lost in her dark tresses and another running across her body… underneath the sole piece of clothing that she wore. Kagome was hugging him tightly, legs wrapped around his waist as they kissed feverishly.

Sesshoumaru felt all of his thoughts fly out the window as he let the feelings of pleasure wash over him. He couldn't figure out for the life of him why she felt so right in his arms, or why he was doing what he was doing, but one thing he knew. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. What will bother him was this revelation – that he had felt this way at all.

oooo~~~oooo

_"What the hell am I doing naked in a bathtub in your house?" She snarled, green eyes flashing in anger. _

"_PERVERT!" She had called him. Pervert indeed. He had even made the bubble bath to preserve her modesty. _

"_You fainted on the street in front of my office building. Had this Sesshoumaru left you there you probably would've been sexually harassed and this Sesshoumaru would have endless paparazzi on his tail," He glared at her. He gave her a minute to digest this before growling under his breath. _

"_Did you… see… anything?" She mumbled after a while while playing with the bubbles in the bath. Sesshoumaru mentally counted to ten before replying. _

"_This Sesshoumaru is not dishonourable," He stated simply. _

"_I figured," She nodded in the direction of her clothing. _

"_Why did you want to speak with this Sesshoumaru?" He asked as he sat cross legged beside the bathtub. The woman in the tub didn't speak for a long time. _

"_Taishou-sama," She began. Sesshoumaru shifted uncomfortably. Somehow, it bothered him that she would speak to him in such a formal manner. _

"_You see… it's my sister. She's… sick… and there's no way to cure her sickness so far." She hugged her legs, looking lost as she peered at the surface of the water, refusing to meet his gaze. _

_Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. Thanks to his enterprise, there was next to nothing that hospitals nowadays cannot cure. Of course, that sounded probably arrogant… but it's true. Over just this past year, they had managed to find a cure for asthma and various types of cancer, including one of the most devastating ones, blood cancer. They also inadvertently found a way to change one's height, but they would never admit it to the press because of the potential damages it might do to society. _

"_What ails her?" He asked inquisitively. She breathed deeply before replying. _

"_Since her eleventh birthday, she hasn't aged a day." _

_Sesshoumaru contemplated telling her about the height adjustment option that they have at his enterprise when he realized that the problem probably wasn't in her height. _

_ "And why would you consider that to be an illness?" Sesshoumaru asked. "Since the beginning of time, humans have been obsessed with the concept of eternal youth. It appears that your sister has managed to achieve what many before her have tried to do… the only difference being that she succeeded." _

_ "As you said, Taishou-sama, humans are obsessed with eternal youth. But though my sister is human, I know that she doesn't want it. I can feel her sanity slipping with each increasing day… Do you know how old she should be right now?" The woman in the bathtub asked. Sesshoumaru shook his head. _

_ "She's supposed to be twenty-five. Because of her condition, she can't befriend anyone. All she has is me… It's killing me watching her sanity slip away because she's actually an adult trapped in a child's body…" She began to sob. _

_ "And why do you think that this Sesshoumaru can help you… cure… your sister?" _

_ "I've read all about your company, Taishou-sama. You have achieved in a few years what plagued the world for centuries. From cures to asthma and cancer, from advanced technology to mask the increasing demonic population, you have successfully achieved them all. Now I ask this of you – to find a cure for immortality. I am confident that you alone are the one who will succeed…" She said with widened eyes. _

_ Sesshoumaru eyed her warily. "Demonic… population?" Only those of said population knew of its existence – how can a mere slip of a human like her know? _

_ "Promise me that you will help my sister, and I will tell you how I have knowledge of you and the rest of your kind," She promised solemnly. _

_ "Are you not… afraid?" He said a voice so soft that she barely heard it. _

_ "No," She replied confidently. She placed both of her hands on his cheeks as her brilliant green eyes came into contact with his cautious golden ones. _

_ "Because I know that you must not be an evil demon from all that you have done for the human community," She whispered. _

_ "Perhaps I was just doing it to increase my wealth," He whispered back. _

_ "Maybe… but the fact that you haven't incarcerated me yet speaks volumes for your character," She smirked. Sesshoumaru found himself speechless for the first time. _

_ "So you'll help me right, Taishou-sama?" She released his face as she peered at him in anticipation. _

_ "On one condition." He replied. _

_ "Name it," She smiled as she rose to his challenge. _

_ "Be mine," He found himself saying. Without waiting for her reply, he placed his lips on hers._

_oooo~~~oooo_

Kagome slowly opened her eyes, unable to remember what happened last night. She turned to see a muscular chest. She moved her arms and found one of them tangled in fine silver hair, and another haphazardly draped around a body. Then, she was about to move her legs when the figure beside her grunted and pushed her underneath him.

"Oompf!" She grumbled in protest. She clawed the figure with her blunt fingernails and was rewarded with a very pleasurable feeling throughout her body. Her half asleep body felt electrocuted as she felt every inch of him across her body… She blushed upon realizing the position that they were in, and what exactly happened last night. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever been so happy…

Let's just say that it wasn't a coincidence that she woke up naked next to an equally naked Sesshoumaru.

"Uh… good morning?" She tried pushing him off her, which caused his arms around her waist to tighten. "Are you… awake?" She peered up at his visage. Her jaw dropped instantly.

His face was perfect. It looked completely at ease, unlike the usual mask of indifference she saw. The fringes of his hair were tossled, the only indication of what they had done the night before. Her heart fluttered.

"Mi…dori…ko…" He whispered, his breath on her neck causing a shiver to run down her spine. She felt cold upon realizing whose name he spoke unconsciously. A wayward tear fell from her eye, disappointment rushing throughout her.

Of course he wouldn't see her as… her. He probably had history with this Midoriko character, and she just so conveniently animated her dead body. Was this what he meant by being of service to him? Suddenly, Kagome felt really dirty.

Empowered by her depression and her need to take a bath, she pushed herself away from him, only to find their lower bodies still connected at a very intimate level.

She began to cry. She didn't notice his eyes flicker to wakefulness, or the confusion that was evident in those golden orbs. She didn't notice being enveloped in his warm embrace. She only knew the inferiority she felt, and that what they had last night wasn't real.

oooo~~~oooo

_"Sorry," Kyoko mumbled as a blush spread across her face. Touga waved it off with a nervous smile. _

_ "It's okay, you tripped," Touga replied quickly. Izayoi took his arm in hers in an attempt to comfort him. _

_ "Where to next, my love?" She asked in a too cheerful voice. _

_ "How about the ride where you shoot aliens?" Touga suggested. Izayoi smiled in agreement. _

_ "See you later, Onigumo." She gave him a quick wave before tugging Touga towards the ride, with Kyoko staring after them. _

_ "Kyoko, right? Looks like we're on the same boat," Onigumo taunted. _

_ "I don't know what you're talking about," She nervously denied. _

_ "It's obvious that you like him. Since I like her, we're going to make a great team." Onigumo continued. Kyoko feinted nonchalance. _

_ "So? It's just a one-sided crush. He doesn't like me that way, and she sure as hell doesn't like you that way. What they have is none of our business," Kyoko said stiffly. _

_ "Here's my number should you change your mind," Onigumo whispered into her ear as he wrote the numbers on the palm of her hand. _

_ Kyoko glared at him before following after Touga and Izayoi. First thing that she was going to do is wash off the number on her hand. She felt awful even thinking about being the one to come between them. They were perfect for each other… besides the fact that he was a dog demon and that she was a human._

_oooo~~~oooo_

A/N: Poor Kagome… first she was left at the altar by the one that she thought she loved… and now she discovered that she might harbor feelings for Sesshoumaru… only to find out that it wasn't her name he whispered unconsciously, but the name of the girl whose body she inhabits.

**Coming up:**

"Well, hell-o beautiful," An feminine, yet somehow masculine, voice whistled.

"Eh… Stay away! I'm afraid of clowns!" Kagome screamed in terror.


End file.
